


Echoes of Insanity

by Uthizaar



Series: The Worlds Unseen [2]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Action, Angry Liam Dunbar, Aristocracy, Betrayal, Blood, Blood and Injury, Break Up, College, Corey Bryant-Centric, Deception, Dread Doctor Theo Raeken, Energy Weapons, Feudalism, Fighting, Fraternities & Sororities, Friends to Enemies, Hippy Liam Dunbar, House Party, Injured Mason Hewitt, Lies, M/M, Medical Jargon, Mythical Beings & Creatures, New Abilities, Open Relationships, Original Supernatural Lore, Phase Walker Corey Bryant, Post Season 6, Power Dynamics, Reality Bending, Villain Scott McCall, Violence, World Editing, original monsters, references to past events
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-23
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:21:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 41,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26064892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Uthizaar/pseuds/Uthizaar
Summary: In the aftermath of Theo’s escape during the battle with Scott and Liam in the ruins of Argent Arms International, Corey finds himself cast out from his friends because of his alliance with Theo-the Dread Doctor known as The Alchemist- and instead takes solace in the Phased Worlds. These are realms of infinite possibility that can be shaped and influenced by Phase Walkers and their aristocratic leaders, the Phasal Lords. As the last Phasal Lord, Corey embarks on a mission to restore their fading civilization and insulate himself from Liam and Mason’s betrayal…This is a direct sequel toThe Madness Within, beginning in the hours after Chapter 33, told exclusively from Corey’s perspective. I highly recommend that you read that story/chapter first!
Relationships: Corey Bryant & Theo Raeken, Corey Bryant/Mason Hewitt
Series: The Worlds Unseen [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1892086
Comments: 47
Kudos: 7





	1. Behind Enemy Lines

“Drive faster!” Liam screamed at him from the back seat.

“If I go any faster, I’ll crash into something.” Corey snapped in reply and glanced into the mirror. “What are you doing? I told you not to take his pain!”

“I have to, I can hear him moaning from it.” Liam fired back, his eyes burning bright yellow in the gloom. “It’s about the only thing I can do.”

“Don’t even start with me right now, Liam.” Corey snarled and took an aggressive right turn, skidding across the pavement and narrowly avoiding a post box. “Mason needs to remain conscious, he’s lost a lot of blood.”

“Yeah, and who’s fault is that?”

Corey ignored him and pressed the gas pedal down harder, Mason’s car zipping forward with a fresh burst of speed. “We’re only two blocks from the ER, did you call your step-father yet?”

“Yeah, as soon as we left,” Liam nodded, his eyes focused on the deep gashes ripped into Mason’s shirt, his exposed flesh wet with blood and gore. “He’s already expecting incoming; I heard Parrish calling ahead for Strauss.”

“Yeah, well, he is a cop.” Corey muttered. “Who Stiles shot…”

“I thought-” Liam broke off and his voice pitched higher into alarm. “I can’t feel his pulse, drive faster!”

“Start chest compressions!” He mounted the curb and sped rapidly through the empty streets of Beacon Hills towards the hospital. The heavy rain that had fallen during the battle had finally moved away, but the puddles all over the road created patches of uneven terrain and Corey drove recklessly through them, feeling his control of the car slipping away. “How is he?”

“I’m doing it, hang on!”

“Just keep going! You have to pound his chest harder than you think.” Corey advised, a silent sigh of relief escaping his lips when he saw the hospital’s sign over the buildings in front of them. “Liam!”

“I know, I know, but…what if he starts bleeding again?”

“Just do it!” Corey roared at him, setting his anger and fear loose. “Scott already ripped his chest open! Get his heart pumping! We’re almost at the ER now!” He slowed down enough to regain control and turned onto the narrow road that allowed ambulances direct access to the hospital. There was no one in front of them and Corey raced up to where the ER’s doors were standing open, spotting Liam’s step-father and several nurses waiting for them. “We’re here!”

“Good!” Liam nodded and paused in his chest compressions to open the door. He staggered out and pointed at Mason’s prone body. “Help him! Please! You have to-”

“It’s alright, we have him now.” 

Corey made to get out of the car as the nurses helped move Mason onto the waiting gurney, but one of them held up a hand and shook her head. “What?”

“You need to move your car, this is for ambulances only.”

“That’s my boyfriend!” Corey protested as Liam walked alongside the gurney after his step-father. “I’m going with them!”

“You need to move that car now! This area has to be kept clear.”

“Fine.” Corey growled at her, anger surging through his body. He revved the engine violently and sped across the wide apron on the other side of the ambulance bay, parking in an empty space. By the time he was hurrying back over to the ER doors, another car had pulled up; Malia staggering out with a screaming Lydia in tow, their faces still disfigured from Theo’s devastating white phosphorus attack. Corey didn’t want to have to deal with any of their accusations and he slipped into the Phased World.

A ghostly twist on the Real World, the Phasal Lord was able to move freely without observation even as everything else was rendered in front of him as clear as day. The sounds of those in pain were somewhat muted, their spirits no longer suffering from the extremes of emotion when viewed in this Phase. He passed easily through the open ER doors and followed Mason’s gurney into the trauma room even as Liam was made to leave. _That’s right, you should leave._ Corey thought to himself vindictively. _Your Alpha did this to Mason…_ He turned back to the doctors as another one came through the doors in dark blue scrubs and asked for a status report.

“Eighteen year old male, Mason Hewitt, tension pneumothorax, blood pressure is seventy over forty and falling.” One of the nurses called out as they worked around Mason, inserting an IV and looping an oxygen tube around his ears and up against his nose. “He coded en-route, but he’s back in sinus rhythm.”

“And these, Dr. Geyer?” The doctor gestured at the bloodied shreds of Mason’s shirt. “What happened here?”

“Multiple sharp force lacerations to the torso, extending upwards to the neck and down to the abdomen.” Liam’s stepfather replied, carefully lifting away the fabric. “He’s lost blood; the ultrasound is showing extensive hemoperitoneum. We need to get him to the OR now and find the source of that bleed!”

“Agreed, let’s go.”

Corey stepped out of their way numbly even as they rushed through him, hurrying Mason out of the ER and along the corridor. He waited until they were all gone from the room before sliding back into the Real World. Corey felt his stomach lurch and turned around quickly, vomiting into a nearby waste bin. He wiped his hand across his mouth and staggered back into the entrance way, transitioning into the Phased World with practiced ease. 

The doctors had already loaded Mason into the elevator and Corey followed them upstairs, hurrying through the oddly lit reality of the Phase. Liam was waiting at the end of the hall, covered in Mason’s blood and his own slowly healing cuts, parts of his hair left frazzled and conductive from Theo’s electromagnetic defenses. Corey avoided him and instead pushed open the doors to the operating room, not constrained by electronic locks or risk of contamination. 

The surgeons were clustered around Mason now, his boyfriend stripped and dressed in a surgical gown that covered his crotch and legs, leaving his chest and face bare. Corey watched as Mason was sedated and then intubated, the tube connected to a machine as sensors were placed around him. In the cool calmness of the Phased World, Corey felt some of his fear and worry bleed away, becoming ethereal purple smoke as his emotions manifested in the air beside him. 

“What the hell?” Dr. Geyer exclaimed as the nurses washed the blood from Mason’s torso. He was pointing at several of the deeper wounds across his chest, a hard foam seeming to be plugging the cuts. “Anyone?”

“I don’t know.” The other surgeon replied, touching the material carefully. “It’s like a packing gel or something? Whatever it is, it’s probably keeping him alive.”

 _Thank you, Theo._ Corey silently whispered, remembering how his friend had been stooped over Mason after Scott attacked him. The Alchemist’s medical gel had already saved the Sheriff and Melissa, not that Scott seemed to have taken that into account before trying to get Theo killed. 

“I’ve seen this before.” One of the nurses said, pointing to tools on a trolley across from them. “When Sheriff Stilinski was shot? His wound was packed with the same material. It’s an insoluble gel, but it can be removed safely.”

“Let’s get it done then.”

Corey didn’t stay for the surgery, unwilling to watch as they cut into Mason’s flesh, instead he wandered distractedly through the bustle of the OR, passing out of the Phased World without incident. He caught glimpses of Malia and Lydia being treated for chemical burns, their pained screams and whimpers barely registering as Corey thought about the danger Mason was in. He flattened himself against the wall when another gurney raced along the corridor, Parrish running alongside, Strauss in the bed, blood running in crimson rivulets down his uniform from where Stiles had shot him. Corey pushed open the door of the waiting room, glancing up to see Nolan and Gabe sitting together in a corner. Nolan had a bust lip and black eye, while Gabe was holding a gauze pad against a long, jagged cut on his forearm. They offered him a weary smile and small wave as Corey just nodded. Liam was sitting away from them and didn’t even look up when Corey arrived.

He sighed and collapsed onto one of the uncomfortable, hard plastic seats opposite Liam. Corey looked down at his hands, his knuckles red and bruised from fighting Scott. His hand had broken earlier-after Scott had discarded Mason and Corey shattered the werewolf’s cheekbone-but it was healing rapidly, only a dull ache to indicate it had ever been injured. He looked up when the door opened, and the Sheriff stuck his head inside. The man was scowling and didn’t speak, just looked around until his gaze settled uncomfortably on Corey. He resisted the urge to vanish and the Sheriff nodded before leaving.

“Huh.” Liam grunted and glared at him.

“What?” Corey frowned in response. “He’s probably looking for Scott and Stiles.”

“Scott’s gone after Theo.”

“He won’t find him.” Corey replied confidently as Liam’s expression darkened. “And even if he did, Scott wouldn’t be able to take him.”

“Grr, Ethan and Jackson took off after the battle.” Liam muttered. “But Stiles is armed so-”

“Are you seriously talking about them killing Theo? I thought you cared about him.”

“That was before he went all crazy Dread Doctor, before he attacked us-”

“Scott made the first move.”

“Yeah, and Theo hurt Mason, so why are you defending him?!” Liam snarled, jumping to his feet.

“You’re wrong, Theo was helping him.” Corey responded, standing upright as Liam’s hands curled into fists. “You didn’t see everything, I did. Scott attacked Mason, used him as a human shield so we couldn’t get to him.”

“That’s bullshit!” 

“Scott didn’t care about Mason, he tried to hit me, and cut my boyfriend up instead.” Corey remained defiant. “I can’t believe you think Theo was capable of something like this, just like I can’t believe you betrayed us when you knew Scott hated him.”

“Yeah…’us’. You took his side, Corey.” Liam replied slowly as Gabe and Nolan stood up behind them. “You chose a Dread Doctor over your friends.”

“Theo _is_ my friend, and Mason would have joined us if you hadn’t intervened.”

“Don’t even think it, Theo had to be stopped, and if Scott really wanted to take you down, he could have!” Liam fired back. “He’s an Alpha, what are you?!”

Corey glared at him, hatred flowing through his veins in molten fire. He could feel the presence of his Phasal Brutes at the edge of his mind, just waiting to be called forth from the Darkened World and be unleashed on Liam. The Phasal Lord curled his hands into fists at the sight of Liam’s smirk, the werewolf seeming to think he had won because of Corey’s silence. “I could turn you into so much red mist if I wanted to.” He snarled at Liam. “But you’re just stupid and upset, talk to Scott about it. See if he lies to you too.”

“You’re just lying to protect Theo, that’s so fucked up.”

 _Crush this miserable insect!_ A voice unbidden shrieked in his mind. _Who is he to question the will of the Phasal Lords?!_

 _No…Theo’s getaway depends on them being too scared to follow. They have to think the Brutes are his._ Corey blinked as the urge to lash out faded and Liam’s angry voice came back into focus. “Look, I heard you the first time, you don’t believe me, whatever.”

“You know where Theo is, don’t you?” Liam demanded, crowding into Corey’s space. “Tell me!”

“No.” Corey backed away, pushing into the corridor outside the operating rooms. “I’m not telling you anything.”

“Tell me!” Liam lunged at him, swinging wildly.

“Gah!” Corey grunted as Liam’s fist connected with his jaw. He brought his knee up and slammed it into Liam’s stomach, following the defense up with a punch to Liam’s face, sending the werewolf sprawling. “Get off me!”

“You little!” Liam tackled him to the ground and they both scrabbled at each other, kicking and punching until hospital security rushed over and pulled them apart. “Fuck you!”

“You attacked me!”

“What the hell is going on here?” Dr. Geyer emerged from the doors at the other end of the hallway and strode towards them. “Liam?”

“He started it.” Liam grunted, pointing at Corey. “How’s Mason?”

“We’ve stopped the bleeding, but there’s more to be done. I can’t have you two fighting out here, this is a hospital.” Dr Geyer replied sternly, looking at Corey. “There’s another waiting room at the end of that hallway. Go, wait there.”

“I’m Mason’s boyfriend, I have a right to be here.” Corey shrugged off the security guard, raising his hands peacefully.

“I’m his best friend,” Liam shot back. “And unlike you, I was actually on the right side, not helping the guy who attacked him!”

“You don’t know anything.” Corey started as the elevator behind them opened and Scott emerged. “That’s who you should be talking to.”

“Me?” Scott glanced around innocently. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“So much for the honesty and integrity of a True Alpha.” Corey muttered darkly.

“I’ve called Mason’s parents, they’re on their way.” Scott replied evenly, avoiding Corey’s accusing eyes. He pointed between Liam and Corey, “Were they fighting? Dr Geyer, you know Liam can get emotional, but Corey’s the real troublemaker-”

“What?” Corey broke in and shook his head. “I’m trying to tell you idiots the truth!”

“I think you should leave, Corey.” Dr. Geyer said, shaking his head as Scott walked past with a smirk. “Go, or I’ll have security escort you out.”

“This is unbelievable.” Corey muttered darkly and glared at Liam and Scott. “I’m not lying.”

“Go.”

“Fine.” He turned around and stalked out of the OR wing, descending the stairs two at a time. When Corey reached the entrance of the hospital, he could see Mason’s parents on their way in. He made to cross the foyer and intercept them before they could go up, but Liam sped by him and got there first. _Damn him!_

He considered going over anyway, but from the way Liam was gesturing in his direction and the dark looks pointed his way, Corey knew there was little point in trying to convince them that he was right, and Theo was Mason’s rescuer, not the villain. Corey sighed and ducked around a corner, walking until he was away from everyone and the hallway was empty. It was the work of a moment to move into the Phased World, a careful retreat that shielded him from the excessive emotions of the Real World.

But it still wasn’t deep enough, the hospital was all around him, intruding onto his sanctuary with all its morbid realness. The Phasal Lord concentrated, his hands held upright, fingers tapping the air as though an unheard song was playing. Corey felt the pleasant lurch in his stomach as the Hallowed World opened around him and reality was stripped away. In place of the hospital was a dusty, arid plain that stretched out in every direction. Howling winds rushed across the surface, pulling up great plumes of red dust into the night air. 

The stars overhead were dim and hard to see, as though he was looking at them from a great distance away. Structures were buried in the ground nearby; most ruined and forgotten, several standing as shards against time, resisting the wind as it sought to erode them. The echoes of the fallen Phasal civilization were soon populated by the ghosts of the Phase Walkers themselves. Silvery and grey, the tall wisps were faintly humanoid, their features lost in the shimmer of their passage. Slowly they congregated around Corey, ethereal limbs reaching out for him.

A flicker of warmth blossomed in his chest and Corey felt reassured for the first time since he had watched Theo flee earlier that evening. A moment later and his Phasal Brutes appeared, rising upwards from the Darkened World in twin pillars of black smoke laced with tongues of blue fire. Their armored forms were familiar, the damage they had taken during the battle healed and repaired. Corey carefully ran his hand over the sharp spikes that covered the creature on his left, while his right hand felt the roughness of the other Brute’s scaled hide. The Phase Walkers surrounding him bobbed and weaved in the wind, some appearing to bow and sweep low while others soared and danced in the sky.

Corey began walking when the Brutes took off, pausing only to look back at him expectantly. They guided him across the fractured plain and through the ruins of the settlement, its crumbling walls the only remnant of whatever had once stood there. After a few minutes, they climbed a hill and paused on the brow, looking down into a crater. It appeared fresh, the bloodied red rock marred, still smoking and raw. Corey frowned as a shadowy outline draped itself across the crater-the ruins of Argent Arms International where he and Theo had fought the Anuk-Ite, where they had been betrayed by Scott and Liam.

An abrupt roll of thunder overhead made Corey look up, the sky was cloudy, boiling and churning despite the sudden calmness. He watched as the clouds began to lighten, grey into pearl into white into a blinding chrome that forced him to shield his eyes. Without warning, a pillar of silver energy blasted down from the sky and struck the ground where the Anuk-Ite had been trapped. Corey frowned, remembering how he had cut the monster off from its stolen access to the Phasal energy flow in the Phased World. The creature had been using the siphoned power to fuel its abilities and increase the effects of the fear it created.

Now, however, the power stream had been restored and appeared to be flowing from the Phased World through the World In-Between and into this phase. Corey blinked as knowledge unfolded itself in his mind like a book opening. _The conduit, it’s been repaired, the flow is restored._ He watched as the area around the pillar of light turned from lifeless red sand into healthy brown earth, grass growing at an accelerated pace and other weeds and flowers bursting upwards from the ground. 

Corey gasped as some of the energy arced outwards and zapped into him. There was a momentary burst of pain before it faded away along with his injuries from the battle. He turned around and looked back the way they had come. The energy beam wasn’t just changing the area around its impact, but instead seemed to affect the entire region. The Phasal Lord watched in awe as the dusty red plains were transformed into a rolling landscape of greenery and trees, all growing at a rapid pace. The night sky grew clearer, although the stars were still distant.

He started when he realized that the collapsed buildings they had travelled through earlier were repairing themselves. The ruins lifted themselves out of the dust, like puppets controlled by strings, their strange shapes and formations turned from dull stone into gleaming metal and polished marble. In the space of a few minutes, the village had been repaired; a dozen spacious houses gathered together around a tall, square building with a long spire emerging from it. A river wound gently around the outskirts of the settlement, its dark waters glistening from the reflection of the small moon in the night sky. “Woah.”

Corey blinked again when the shades of the other Phase Walkers reappeared and crowded around him. He could hear their whispers and fragments of their strange, broken language, its meaning arriving in his mind without translation. They were eager, excited, awoken from their long slumber by the reconnection of one of the ancient conduits. The power restored from the phases above them seemed to be continuing to spread outwards from the impact site and Corey felt a heavy weight settle into his stomach.

It wasn’t because of the reactivated conduit or the other Phase Walkers floating around him, but rather bittersweet memories of the time he and Theo had spent here only a few days before. Theo had said that he wanted to stay and explore the ruins, to translate the walls in the Temple of Fate and discover more of the secrets forgotten in the Darkened World. But now… “Now, he’s gone, and he can’t come back.” Corey spoke aloud, hearing a sharp keening from the gathered Walkers around him as they reacted impulsively to his tone. “Liam betrayed him, Scott wants him dead, even Stiles tried to shoot him. I would’ve left with him, but Mason…Mason needs me, he needs to know the truth. I can’t let Liam poison him against Theo, against me.”

The Phasal Lord took a deep breath and exhaled as he ascended to the phase above him, into the malleable surroundings of the World In-Between, the Phase Walkers left below him. The blank white space was a brilliant contrast to the sudden recovery of the Hallowed World and Corey looked around as he waited for inspiration to strike. _I need somewhere safe, secure, defendable. Somewhere like…a castle._ He extended a hand and pulled the fortress from his imagination, watching as heavy stone walls screeched into existence and settled with a loud thud.

The moat was next, sharp stakes and the snapping jaws of some fanged creature materialized as Corey walked towards the heavy, wooden drawbridge. Inside the thick curtain walls, a dirt path led towards the keep, a building of dark stone and narrow slit windows of turquoise glass. The studded door swung open at his touch, memories of a Medieval video game allowing his imagination to populate furnishings and décor of the castle’s interior. He climbed the spiral staircase as the drawbridge pulled upwards of its own accord, the keep door shutting and locking behind him. 

The bedchamber was bright and airy, the long windows looking out over a swiftly built valley of rolling hills and nearby mountains. Corey walked over to the large fourposter bed and sat on the edge, finally resting as his Phasal Brutes padded around the room before settling down in front of the blazing fire. At the beginning of the night, he had expected Theo to defeat the Anuk-Ite and for Scott to confront them, but Corey hadn’t anticipated that the battle would be so violent and so desperate. 

Theo had offered Scott numerous chances to surrender or fall back, but the werewolf seemed to have been completely under the influence of the Anuk-Ite’s fear abilities. Even with the monster destroyed, Scott wouldn’t see reason. Corey sighed again and got up, moving across the room towards the bathing area. He waited for a sink to appear, polished granite shaped in an oval and filled with crystal clear water. The Phasal Lord had done this before, allowing Theo days earlier to witness Liam and Stiles’ meeting with Scott, Ethan, and Jackson. His mastery over the phases was growing and he concentrated until he saw Mason lying in bed after the operation. Machines beeped and whirred around him, his breaths controlled by the ventilator.

Scott and Liam were in the room, their voices indistinct as they talked, first to each other and then to Mason’s parents and the Sheriff. 

_“Mason told us about…you two.” Mr. Hewitt said as he gestured at Scott and Liam. “We thought he meant a gang until these last few weeks. But now…”_

_“I understand.” Scott nodded and glanced at Liam. “But we’re the good guys, the monster that was harming everyone is gone and-”_

_“How did this happen?”_

_“There was a fight,” Liam started, his eyes on Mason as he spoke. “One of our…he helped us take out the Anuk-Ite, the monster Scott mentioned. And, well, things got heated afterwards.”_

_“Theo was the real villain.” Scott interjected, his voice confident and steady. “He attacked us; tore Mason up, hurt two others. We would have taken him down, but he was helped by Corey.”_

_“Corey?” Mrs. Hewitt looked sharply at him. “Mason’s Corey?”_

_“Uh huh.” Scott nodded again as Liam glanced at him. “Him and Theo were working together, he helped Theo escape, fought against me, everything.”_

_“Well, maybe…” Liam trailed off under Scott’s gaze. “Uh, yeah.”_

_“Oh my god, I always thought he was such a sweet boy.” Mrs. Hewitt shook her head in disbelief. “I saw him as we came in, is he being arrested or?”_

_“Oh, we’ll handle this.” Scott replied. “I’ll find Theo and Liam will make sure Corey doesn’t come near Mason. It’s for the best, right, Liam?”_

_“I mean, maybe?”_

“How dare they?!” Corey shouted as he whirled away from the sink. His anger manifesting itself in a pulsing red fog that steamed off him. “Damn you, Scott!” Corey gritted his teeth and snarled wordlessly at the mirror across from him. “The Real World…I can’t manipulate that. But here, or deeper? If I brought them here, hah, then they wouldn’t be able to match me!”

Corey turned around and looked into a corner, watching as a deep bath tub formed itself and filled with hot water. His thoughts shifted away from revenge and instead focused on the conduit of energy. “If just one could reawaken part of the Hallowed World…are there others? It must be tied to the Darkened World, to why the Phase Walkers died out. Hmm, I bet the Phasal Regents in the temple would know.” He nodded to himself, his anger replaced by curiosity as the bathtub finished filling up.

He stripped out of his bloodied and torn clothes and stepped over the lip of the bath into the hot water. The temperature adjusted from too hot to just right as he sunk into the heated embrace and lay back against the smooth ceramic. Scott and Liam may have just turned him into an outcast in the Real World, but there were four phases beneath it that he could rule over. And once Mason was recovered, he’d see through Liam and Scott’s lies and they’d be together again, Corey was sure that he would. His boyfriend was logical, and he knew Theo was a bit messed up, but he wouldn’t hurt his friends. But Mason was still on the ventilator, it would take time for him to wake up and heal from Scott’s treacherous wounds.

In the meantime, Corey would have to return to the Temple of Fate and discover if there were more conduits to unlock, if there was some way of making Scott take responsibility, and he _would_ make the werewolf own up to his lies. By force or by subterfuge, the Phasal Lord was unwilling to let Scott take Theo and Mason both from him.


	2. Heavy is the Head That Wears the Crown

Corey blinked and stared at the ceiling of the bedroom, his consciousness taking a few seconds to remember where he was, and then the events of the previous day crashed over him in a suffocating wave. He sat up slowly and swung his legs over the edge of the bed, his feet touching the smooth warmth of the paved floor. The sky outside changed subtly from dawn to early morning as he stood upright, the malleable environment of the World In-Between shifting to suit his expectations. Across from him, in front of the still glowing embers, the Phasal Brutes were watching him. Corey wandered over and absently let his hands drift over their armored heads. “What am I doing here? I should be at the hospital.”

 _I need a change of clothes: jeans and a t-shirt, black, patterned._ He turned away from the fireplace and concentrated for a moment before the imagined outfit materialized on the bed. “Good.” Corey dressed quickly, pausing to create coffee and a pastry before he looked over at the Brutes. “Err, you can go back home, I’ll call you if I need you.” The creatures seemed to understand, stretching out on their forelegs like a dog eager to play. He blinked when they vanished suddenly, leaving behind wispy black outlines for a few seconds. “Huh.” Corey took a long drink of the coffee, sweetened just how he liked it, and then he left the fortress behind, walking back to where the hospital was likely to be located.

When he was certain he was under-or at least nearby-the main building, the Phasal Lord closed his eyes and stretched out his hands. The gesture wasn’t needed exactly, but it helped him feel in control, and when Corey opened his eyes again he was in the soft focus of the Phased World, the living echo of the Real World, just a footstep away. He was standing in the middle of the ambulance bay and he stepped sharply away when he heard the long, shrill sirens pierce the air. “Ok, let’s find Mason.”

No one noticed him as he stalked through the busy corridors, looking into rooms and listening in on nurses and doctors. It wasn’t until he reached the fourth floor that he finally heard something useful; one of the nurses talking on the phone to what Corey figured out was the police. He moved away from the station and walked along one of the identical looking hallways, coming to a stop halfway down when he saw Liam slumped in a chair outside a private room. “Huh. The guard dog.”

The werewolf was asleep, and it was unlikely he could sense Corey in his current phase-although he had been caught before by both Scott and Liam-but the Phasal Lord took no chances and crept further along the corridor until he was outside Mason’s room. A quick peek into the hospital room revealed Mason to be alone and resting. Corey slipped inside and closed the door behind him. A deep breath later and he was standing next to his boyfriend’s bed in the Real World. 

“Hey Mason,” Corey whispered, reaching down to take the guy’s hand in his own. He surveyed the tubes snaking across Mason’s torso and arms connected to IVs and machines that softly beeped every few seconds. He wasn’t on the ventilator any longer however and Corey perked up when he felt Mason’s hand tighten around his fingers, his eyes fluttering into half alertness. “Hey.”

“Corey?” Mason’s voice was groggy and weak. “You’re here?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m here.” Corey glanced over his shoulder at the door. “Uh, I can’t stay for long though.”

“Why not?”

“It’s a long story.” He licked his lips nervously when Mason frowned. “It’s so good to see that you’re alive!”

“Yeah, Liam really saved my life.”

“What?”

“Uh huh,” Mason nodded wearily. “Thankfully, him and Scott-”

“Why would you be thanking that monster?” Corey replied coldly. “Don’t you remember what he did?”

“Um, it’s all blurry, I don’t know…when I woke up Liam was here, but he said you left?” Mason frowned at him as Corey pulled away from him. “What is it?”

“I didn’t leave, Liam’s step-dad kicked me out.” Corey shook his head slowly. “There was a fight and he took Liam’s side, obviously, but then Scott tried to blame the whole thing on me and Theo, and that’s total bullshit!”

“Uh, if you say so.”

“Don’t you believe me?” Corey stared at him as Mason deliberately avoided meeting his eyes. “Mason? You know that Theo didn’t hurt you, right? He saved your life.”

“I don’t…think so.” Mason grimaced and placed a hand on his bandaged stomach. “Why would Liam lie to me like that?”

“Liam’s wrong, he just doesn’t know it.” Corey tried to explain, his tone getting higher as he became frustrated. “Scott is the real bad guy: he cut you up and tossed you aside like garbage, Liam didn’t see that, but I did.”

“That doesn’t sound like Scott at all,” Mason shook his head. “He was here earlier: he wasn’t anything like you said. You must be confusing him with someone else, maybe Ethan or Jackson?”

“I know what I saw! Ok, ok, fine.” Corey took a deep breath and looked at his boyfriend. “We don’t have to talk about that-”

“Do you know where Theo ran to? The others said he’s gone.”

“I don’t know where he is.” Corey replied defensively. “And I’m not sure I could tell you even if I did.”

“Meaning?” Mason arched a brow at him, looking for a moment like his old self. “You don’t trust me.”

“Well, it’s kinda hard to when you don’t believe what I’m telling you.”

“Look, I liked Theo, I thought he was a good friend and there was a lot of potential for all us to be friends and have fun together,” Mason spoke quickly as Corey frowned. “Then he went and turned himself into a Dread Doctor and you didn’t see anything wrong with that. But the real red flag for me was when you and he came back from wherever you went to help him with his trap. You haven’t been the same since.”

“That’s irrelevant,” Corey brushed off Mason’s concern with a shake of his head. “We had to do whatever it took to defeat the Anuk-Ite, and we did: me and Theo and the hunters.”

“I tried to support you.”

“How exactly?” Corey snapped. “By standing with Liam and doing nothing but criticize everything Theo did?”

“Corey, that’s, ah,” Mason grimaced, pain flashing across his face. “That’s not fair.”

“Maybe not, but that’s how I feel.” Corey sighed as his boyfriend watched him with his familiar analytical gaze. “I want to show you everything in the Phased Worlds, I want you to see what I’ve seen, but sometimes you act like I’m just making it up, like I’m imagining it.”

“I’m sorry.” Mason replied after a moment, his voice genuine. “I never meant to make you feel like that. When I’m out of here, we can go to wherever you want to go.”

“That’s…good, it’s good.” Corey smiled at him, warmth filling his chest as the argumentative tone of their conversation began to fade away. He moved closer before stopping suddenly when he noticed Mason scowling and leaning back. “What’s wrong?”

“I feel…dizzy, sore.” Mason grumbled, closing his eyes.

“Shit, sorry, maybe I-” Corey was about to reach out and touch his boyfriend’s forehead when the door crashed open and Liam stormed inside.

“What are you doing here?!” The werewolf demanded, shaking a fist under Corey’s nose. “Get away from him!”

“I came to see my boyfriend.” Corey replied evenly, turning to confront Liam’s hostility. “And I don’t have to run that by you, Liam.”

“You kinda do since Scott left me in charge.”

“Like I care what he thinks.”

“Mason’s parents don’t want you here either!” Liam added with a smug grin. “So, get lost!”

“What the hell did you say to them?” Corey demanded, his voice rising in response to Liam’s arrogant smirk. “Fuck, Liam, can’t you see Scott is manipulating you?”

“Don’t talk shit about my Alpha!”

“Guys…” Mason muttered weakly.

“Your Alpha is a fucking lowlife who used your best friend as a human shield!” Corey snarled. “Just like he abused your trust when he seduced Hayden behind your back!”

“Guys, please…”

“That’s a filthy lie!” Liam roared, shoving Corey aggressively. “Take it back!”

“Guys! Arghhh!” Mason tried to sit up before collapsing back on his bed, the machines next to him beeping frenziedly. “Ahh! My chest!”

“Now see what you’ve done, Corey!” Liam whirled around, his claws sliding out and catching nothing but air. “Fuck you! Don’t come back!”

Corey gritted his teeth as he slipped into the Phased World and then let himself fall backwards, drifting deeper and further away from his former friends, betrayal a heavy taste on his tongue. 

Gradually the darkness brightened, and Corey began to recognize things again, the Hallowed World pushing itself into his consciousness as his retreat from the Real World ended. Wherever he was now, it wasn’t one of the other places he had been the night before or on his travels through the Phase with Theo. He looked around and blinked rapidly until the haze that surrounded him was burned away. 

The Phasal Lord found himself on the shores of a calm ocean, the translucent waves rolling up a beach made of compacted ashen sand and bleached white sea shells. The sky overhead was battleship gray, a weak sun pushing through with just enough heat to be warm against his skin. He stood still and looked out at the water, feeling his emotions settle and the conflicting anger and fear was pulled away from his body, exploding softly in muted red and purple smoke until they dissipated in the windless air. “Hmm. I wonder what else is here.”

Corey began to walk along the beach, the sand hard and compact underfoot, his gait even and unburdened. He spread his hands idly outwards and then waved them towards the ground, a thought devoted to his familiar allies before they appeared. The Phasal Brutes materialized on either side, the same black smoke as before conjuring them from the Darkened World. They walked beside him, almost like pets, his fearsome guardians. 

A little way down the coast, the landscape began to change, turning from an endless expanse of beach into rocky headlands and towering, dark cliffs. Corey frowned when he saw ghostly birds take flight and soar over his head, as though heralding his arrival. The ocean was getting rougher as well, but he didn’t feel threatened, the waves rolling up the shore stayed away from him as though hitting an invisible barrier. Corey looked up from the water as a ruined fortress loomed out from a promontory headland, a sandy path winding up to it from the beach. “Alright, let’s check it out.”

As he walked up the path, more of the castle’s details came into view; tumbled down walls of dark brown and black stone, a shallow moat built around it containing nothing but weeds now, a courtyard surrounding a dead tree that had a thick trunk and pale branches stretching upwards like bony arms. It was different from the one he had created the night before, but the more Corey looked at it, the more the fortress changed its appearance to match his expectations. The courtyard inside had a staircase leading upwards onto the seaward facing battlements, the only structure still mostly intact.

Now that he was high above the beach, the wind had picked up, blowing salt and fresh air into his face. “Hang on,” Corey muttered to himself. “There’s no sound here: nothing alive, no ocean waves, not even the creak from all this broken wood and stone.” The Phasal Brutes had stayed below in the courtyard and as Corey turned around to check on them, he started. “Oh, shit.”

Where once the space had been empty save for a few straggling weeds and mossy rubble, now it was full of the ghosts of the Phase Walkers. Their glowing forms filled every part of the courtyard, clustering around the tree, encircling the Brutes, gathering at the foot of the staircase. Despite not having clear physical forms, Corey knew they were all staring at him, waiting for him. The silence was softly broken by their familiar gentle whispers, their language slotting into his ears and translated by his mind without effort. The Phasal Lord frowned as he looked down at his arms and torso, watching as the ethereal shape of fine garments fell over him. Rich brocade of azure blue and gold thread formed a complicated sigil on his chest, his hands clad in gloves of silver leather. “What’s going on? What do you want from me?”

_Return us to glory!_

_Bring back the power that was lost!_

_Restore the Shard Conduits!_

_Heal our people as you have already begun to do!_

The whispered thoughts flooded over him as Corey winced and pressed the palm of his hand against his forehead. “Argh! That stings! I still don’t understand…” He gasped as the ocean wind abruptly plucked him off the battlements and carried him away from the fortress before tossing him down towards the deep, clear water beneath him. “Ahhh!” 

Corey instinctively reached out with his hands to break his fall, but instead of crashing into the water, he bounced harmlessly off the surface and rolled onto his back. “What the hell is happening?!” He sat up gingerly, the “water” under his hands turning into smooth carpet, the world around him resolving into a long pillared hall. “This is getting too weird.” Corey got to his feet gingerly and looked around until he spotted a doorway behind him, leading into blinding sunshine. 

Outside, the Hallowed World had been completely transformed; no longer was it filled with decay and ruin, nor was it silent and windswept. Instead, the landscape was green and verdant, rolling hills covered in lush grasses and bushes, trees bending and clashing in the distance, their copper leaves a shimmering vision that transfixed him for several minutes. Birdsong came from every branch and small animals scuttled through the undergrowth. Corey began to walk forward, leaving the building that had ‘caught’ him behind and venturing into the world. The sun was warm on his skin, still high in the sky as though it was coming from further away, but there was only a smattering of tall, cumulus clouds drifting overhead. 

He continued walking, constantly turning his head to look at new sights, his passage speeded up enough to cover great distances, but not so rapid as to make him nauseous. “Incredible!” Corey whispered when he came to a different part of the Hallowed World, staring at vast, sprawling cities that covered the land from horizon to horizon. Some were built of pristine white stone and had glittering golden roofs, while others were clad in oppressive black materials that shone with oily smoothness. All were filled with the bustle and noise of thousands of Phase Walkers. Corey drifted through the cities’ busy streets, catching new and exotic smells; spices on the wind, tradesmen burning and building and forging, vendors on street corners offering almost recognizable foods. 

The Phase Walkers existed in a dozen different forms, from the ghostly specters Corey was familiar with to tall spindly beings with radiant faces to short, squat figures clad in purple robes that left a glowing trail in their wake. Along with the denizens came animals and creatures of such fantastical and mythical natures that Corey could do little more than stare at them as he walked past. 

In the center of a city built entirely of turquoise glass, he found himself at a large, open plaza, ruby red cobblestones underfoot. A long, ornately built structure that could have been a museum or a palace stretched across one end of the square and in front of it at regular intervals portals opened and closed. Corey walked closer, ignored by the Phase Walkers as he examined the rippling windows that led to other Phased Worlds. He frowned when he recognized the Real World in one nearby. There was a collection of primitive huts and a campfire surrounded by shaggy haired men and women in animal pelts. “Curious, I wonder where this is.” Corey muttered, continuing to watch as the portal remained open, the images it showed changing from a crude village to that of a waterfall surrounded by malevolent spiked stones. Shrines had been built at the edges of the plunge pool, offerings of food and pelts adorned each one and dark stains of blood had been smeared on the sharp rocks.

The Phasal Lord frowned when he noticed a pillar of brilliant white energy flowing vertically up and down in the center of the waterfall, recognizing it from the night before. “A Shard Conduit.” Corey looked back at the shrines, slowly putting the pieces together. “They’re afraid of it? If those people keep away from the energy, then it flows uninterrupted into the other Phases, huh.”

Corey pulled back and turned around, accidentally walking into another portal, instantly transported into the Darkened World. He took a deep breath as he felt a curtain of icy air wash over him, but a moment later, warmth returned, and he was able to look around. This Phase too had been changed, no longer a dimly lit twilight world of sorrow and loss, but rather a realm of wild lands, fearsome beasts, and towering, fortified cities. 

The sun was far above him now, a pinprick that gave little warmth and just enough light to see his surroundings, like the seconds before dawn’s break. But the Darkened World was as full of definition and variety as the Phase above him; plains of ashen gray sand, mountains of silver rock and snow capped peaks, rivers of churning black water. And all around him were monuments, both in construction and long since completed: all manner of statues and arenas, sculptures of Phasal Lords and their animal companions, edifices meant to inspire and intimidate. 

Corey stopped as he crested a hill of orange heather and looked down over a large flat plain that had clearly been created by hand rather than shaped by the elements. He glanced at his foot when he felt a weight against it and saw his own familiar sitting next to him. The multi-colored rabbit that Theo had helped him retrieve was watching something in the distance. Corey felt a smile pull at his lips, lifting his mood when the affectionately named Mr. Floppy Ears looked up at him. “Hey, it’s been a while.” The Phasal Lord turned his attention back to the plain, feeling a queasy lurch in his stomach as he was suddenly rocketed forward at great speed, rushing across the landscape to stop at the gates of a city larger and more ornately decorated than any he had seen so far.

“I know this place,” Corey whispered, shaking his head slowly. “I’ve seen it in my dreams… the capital city, Cordanick, the seat of the Shard Emperor.” He pivoted slowly to look at a wide road of silver and gold that led straight out into the distant scrubland. “And that’s the path to the Temple of Fate. It all looks how I expected it to, but nothing like how I remember it with Theo.”

The city was ringed in the now familiar curtain wall and moat that appeared to be a feature of fortresses in the Phased Worlds, the stone here however was not pristine marble or smooth granite, but rather was built of glittering diamonds, buttressed now and again with a dazzling green metal. He could just see the red tiled rooftops of some of the taller buildings and then, rising from the center of city was a star shaped palace of such majesty that Corey simply stared at it for several minutes, taking in each lavish detail.

His transfixion was interrupted by a sudden disturbance on the path where he was standing, the ground shaking as pebbles bounced under the beat of thousands of feet. Corey looked to his left, spotting the rising column of dust and ash thrown up from the volcanic soil of the region. He quickly backed away from the city, watching as an army of Phase Walkers came over the rise and marched past him. These were not like the others in the cities of the Hallowed World, however, instead, the shining warriors were akin to the glowing spirits he had met before, contained in armor of black and gold, their light emerging eerily from the gaping mouth and eye holes. 

Behind the soldiers came a battalion of Phasal Brutes, smaller than Corey’s own, but no less strange and wonderous with their many eyes, spiked shells, and heavy tails. But following the Brutes came creatures that Corey had not seen before: towering giants of at least sixty feet high that were responsible for making the ground quake with every step. Their armored carapaces gleamed with a bony polish as six eyes on each side of their wide, pointed heads looked forward and back. Long, powerful arms gave way to broad hands and sharp, cruel looking talons. Corey watched them as they marched on, waiting until the army had disappeared into another cloud of dark smoke before he made his way back onto the path, heading for the Temple of Fate, feeling that his final destination lay inside.

While the road to the Temple of Fate had started out unblemished and perfectly smooth, the more Corey progressed down it, the more the surface became uneven and disrupted. The statues that lined the causeway had stopped being magnificent and impressive and were now eroded and missing pieces. By the time he reached the wind-blasted doors of the temple, it had returned to the state it had been in when he and Theo visited a few days before. The ground around the structure was leaden black sand, the sky overhead stripped of clouds as a gas giant loomed large across the horizon, a collection of moons orbiting slowly around the planet. The Temple of Fate itself was the same as before: an impressive column of jet black glass, with ribbons of red and orange rippling through it. The peak of the column cut off abruptly, shorn at an angle, while the base of the building flared outwards, dominating the barren plain.

Corey entered the Temple of Fate and stood for a moment in the main room, looking at the collection of stacked boxes at the other end of the hall, every moment of his time here with Theo coming back in perfect clarity. He turned away abruptly and entered the long twisty passageways which led into the darkness towards the underground laboratories. A wall sconce erupted into a ghostly white flame beside him, the action repeating every few steps as he progressed through the labyrinth of identical corridors, guiding his way. The lab was the place where Theo had found the Phasal Brutes and Corey had managed to awaken them, turning the powerful creatures into his pets and guardians.

When he stepped into the lab, Corey could feel the tension in the air; a sort of electric excitement that made his heart beat fast. Slowly, with almost deliberate ordering, a council of Phasal Lords emerged from thin air, clad in shadows that obscured their faces. “Err, hi?”

“We have been waiting for you to return.” The one in the center spoke, a rustle of wind visible in the air as other Phase Walkers came forth to dance and swoop around them. “We have something for you, a gift.”

“You already gave me a gift last time,” Corey replied as he glanced around carefully. “I don’t need another.”

“Perhaps you do not, but we need you to take this one.” The Phasal Lord held out its hands, an ethereal crown laying on a pillow of smoke, slowly solidifying into a circle of gold and silver with sharp leaves made from emeralds and topaz arched along the rim. “You have seen the majesty that our realms once knew, you alone can restore them to that once again.”

“That…wait, everything I just saw wasn’t real?!”

“A memory, our memory, mine, a thousand others.” Another Phasal Lord was speaking, stepping closer to the first as the council of seven drew together, their shadows replaced with faded finery and noble features. “We are the Phasal Regents, the advisors and chroniclers of the once proud Shard Empire!”

“I don’t really know anything about that.” Corey muttered, looking at his feet. “But I’m pretty sure I’m not the one you’re looking for.” He glanced up in time to see the Regent place the crown on a nearby pedestal. “Is this why you brought me here?”

“You redirected energy that was being stolen, reopened one of the three Conduits that power our Phased Worlds. Already the Hallowed World is being renewed, already we have experienced a surge of power not felt since the last days of the Shard Empire.” The Regent gestured at him. “You are the only one left who can move freely across the Phases, the last of us who retains a physical form, you alone can reconnect the other Conduits and save our people!”

“I don’t know where they are.”

“We will help you,” Another Regent spoke from Corey’s left. “We know where they are and how to redirect their flows. And once you have completed this task, there is no one else who can take up the mantle of leadership but you alone. What do you say?”

“I…need to think.” Corey turned away from them and looked past the other Phase Walkers as they floated in a chorus around him. His eyes fell on the wall across from him, covering in tiny scratches and dense writing. _Theo was so excited to see that, to learn everything that was recorded here. I bet he’d do anything to see this place again. Not that it matters, Mason is in the hospital, I should be taking care of him…which would be doable if Scott and Liam didn’t twist everything I said and did to make me and Theo look like the bad guys._ “And they’re the real villains!” Corey growled and clenched his fists, watching as the emotions bled into the air around him as a blood red mist. “I can’t believe Mason believes Liam more than me! They should be taught a lesson!”

The Phasal Lord took a deep breath and turned around to face the Council of Regents. “Yes, I will do what you ask.” He nodded as the Phasal Lords bobbed up and down, a gesture Corey was sure was the equivalent of a smile. “If nothing else, it’ll give Mason time to come to his senses. Now, where do we start?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next update will be sometime in early October.


	3. Empowering the Dead

Corey blinked disconcertedly as the surroundings of the Temple of Fate melted away like a fading dream and a few seconds later he found himself standing among the ruins of another fallen city. He was still in the Darkened World, judging from the gloom that encircled him and the strange, heavy, density of sensation that weighed on his shoulders. Corey looked around in an attempt to get his bearings, trying to figure out if he was in any of the cities from the memories he had visited before.

Tall, slanted walls rose up on one side of him, made of some dust-coated stone, the fine details of the carvings strewn across its surface lost to the eroding wind that whistled through the holes in another wall across from him. Corey walked a little forward, curious rather than afraid, and reached out to touch the tumbled down masonry. A flash of light and a momentarily vivid image rolled across his mind’s eye causing Corey to wince and then stagger backwards. The collapsed walls had been reformed into the distinctive star shape of the Imperial Palace he had seen earlier, their battlements and crenellations adorned in polished stone and studded with precious gemstones. “I’m at the capital.”

“Yes.”

Another voice came from behind him and Corey turned quickly, his eyes locking onto an approaching Phase Walker. The figure was similar to those he had met in the Temple of Fate; although this one was less solid than the others and appeared to float along the ground in a plume of chrome light. “Who are you?”

“You may call me Arcanic.” The Phase Walker flickered violently for a few seconds before settling into a more humanoid shape. Its features were still indistinct with hints at muscle and bone structure here and there across its torso and legs. But Corey wasn’t disturbed by its appearance the way he had been by the uncanniness of the Anuk-Ite’s bizarre attempt at humanity. “I am your…assistant? Chancellor was my role once.”

“And you’re, uh,” Corey frowned, watching Arcanic’s body continue to solidify and become more defined, although the area below the navel remained smooth. “I’m not sure how to ask this, but you’re male?”

“Hmm, I am Arcanic, I am a Phase Walker, that is all.” Arcanic appeared to hesitate and then nodded at him. “But I can appear closer to your appearance if you would prefer it?”

“Uh, no, it’s fine.” Corey muttered, suddenly feeling awkward. “You just look different from the others I’ve met.”

“My job is to advise you and help you achieve your aims.” Arcanic said, standing next to him. “The Regents want you to restore the Conduits, yes?”

“That’s right, I don’t know where they are though.”

“Ah, so that is why they reformulated me.”

“Yeah, I-” Corey blinked and turned to stare at Arcanic. “Wait, what? What do you mean ‘reformulated’?”

“I apologize,” Arcanic seemed to smile at him from the changing indentations across the Phase Walker’s face which helped to form expressions. “I forget that you are not fully of us.”

“Great, so, I’m an outsider here as well.”

“No, never, you are more important to us than you realize!” Arcanic gestured at the ruins of the palace and started to walk forward. “Follow me, there is something you must see.” He led Corey through a series of collapsed rooms and rubble filled courtyards, and out through a garden made from bone white flowers and stark trees, their ashen trunks standing among craters and destruction. Beyond the gardens and orchards-flashes of restored splendor bounced through Corey’s mind- Arcanic stopped at a large hollow formed in the ground. “Here.”

“What is it?” Corey asked as he studied the depression. It looked both natural and manmade: as though the feature had been there already before someone came along and smoothed out the sides. There had been a lawn-or something like it-around the edges once, all that remained now were frozen strands of fossilized grass on either side, jutting up several inches like bony fingers. They crunched unpleasantly under his feet as Corey moved past Arcanic and walked down the slope into the center of the crater. This part was very flat and very smooth, a careful scuffing with his boot revealed a faded mosaic under the dust. “Is it for collecting rain or something?”

“It is for collecting power: Shard energy.” Arcanic replied, gesturing grandly around them. “At the height of our civilization a thousand energy wells were fed from this one, maintaining our cities and monuments, bringing power to our labs and workshops, ushering in Phase Walkers without end!”

“So, what is Shard energy anyway? I get that it’s a power source for the Phases, but I don’t understand how it’s used or where it comes from.” Corey walked over to a tall frame of corroded metal, a doorway with nothing in it. He felt a chill run across his skin as he stepped through the entrance, abruptly aware that Arcanic was watching him keenly. “What is this?”

“The Portal of Awakening.” Arcanic seemed to be smiling at him again, although this time the expression was more unnerving than friendly. “You ask me what the Shard energy is? It is power, but it’s also life and possibility and sustenance all intertwined in a single burst of pure energy. It is the essence that binds our civilization together. When the Conduits are open, the energy flows from the Inflexible World to the depths of the Darkened World, bathing every Phase in its glorious light! The Phase Walkers manipulate and use the energy to create, to build, sometimes to destroy, and to create others.”

“You’re made from the energy?” Corey asked after considering Arcanic’s words for a minute. “Like how that town remade itself in the Hallowed World, you guys come from the Conduits too?”

“Yes, you are familiar with the other Phase Walkers, the ones you call ghosts, until a little while ago, I was like them-stripped from my body when the Conduits were shut down.” Arcanic continued as Corey studied the empty portal. “I was nothing but my thoughts on the wind, lucky I suppose, many of my friends and family have gone mad in long night. The dawn is coming however now that you have restored the first Conduit.”

“This portal,” Corey gestured at it as he digested the information. “I think, it’s weird, but I can almost _see_ people emerging from it. So, the Shard energy is gathering in this, uh, pool, and then you get made and step through the door?”

“A simple explanation, but yes.” Arcanic nodded. “Sometimes Phase Walkers are called upon to do specific duties and they already know their purpose when they emerge. Other times, the energy simply manifests itself into new forms and they emerge.”

“You said you had a family…isn’t everyone your family if you all come from the same place?”

“I do not know.” Arcanic seemed perplexed by the question before shrugging. “Perhaps I mean that all those who share my form and function are my family, while those who embody the armor of champions are from a different family, and so too are the great trading husks covered in their layers of sea leather.”

“Cool.” Corey grinned, his expression fading when he realized that Theo would have been fascinated at every turn by the Phase Walkers. He grimaced and then cleared his throat. “Uh, aren’t you here to help me find the next Conduit? Which, I’m just realizing, is basically like someone has held your family hostage for, err, however many years it’s been. So, any clues?”

“Of course, my lord.” Arcanic turned around and gestured at the sky. “You must ascend to the Hallowed World and find the access portal, it will be where the energy should be channeled into and where you can find its source.”

“Ok, but where is it?” Corey asked again. “The last one was in Beacon Hills, so is the other one closer?”

“Closer is a matter of perspective, my lord.” Arcanic replied. “I do not claim to know the exact locations of the Conduits, only the Emperor and the Fade Seekers have that knowledge. But the Regents are certain that you will know the Conduit when you come upon it.”

“Great.” Corey muttered. “I guess I’ll talk to you later?”

“Yes, I will wait here for you.”

The Hallowed World was brighter than he remembered it, although it seemed that the first Conduit’s redirected energy hadn’t reached whatever part he was in, the land remaining unrejuvenated. He found himself in a dead forest, not so different from the Anuk-Ite’s fear dimension, and Corey shivered uncomfortably. A moment later, a thick fur cloak had settled across his shoulders, catching him by surprise. “I thought I could only make things real in the World In-Between, ok, it’s not like I’m going to complain.”

It was cold and dark in the forest, the trees all pale white with blood red branches that erupted from the trunks in a constant, silent unsheathing as the Phasal Lord walked down a leaf strewn causeway. The leaves were as unusual as his surroundings, a burnished bronze on one side and then an oxidized copper on the other, each heavy enough to believe that they were made from the metals they resembled. Corey resisted the urge to start kicking through the large drifts of fallen leaves as if he were a kid in Fall.

The trees eventually gave way to another ruin, there was something all too familiar about the tumbled down walls and traces of civilization. Corey frowned when he realized he was in a similar amphitheater to the one in the heart of the Imperial Palace. This one was in better shape than the other one, however and it was much larger. There were long stretches of uninterrupted moss-covered black tiles that ran down the sloping sides of the structure, with a ring of tiered stone seats at the top, middle, and bottom. He began his descent down a set of eroded stone stairs towards a circular basin in the center of the ruins. 

The floor of the basin was a bright cobalt blue that somehow retained its vibrant hue despite the passing years, with swirls of equally brilliant red mixed through in a pattern that seemed to be random and yet strangely pleasing to the eye. As he continued to walk towards the middle, Corey noticed the now expected presence of the Phase Walker ghosts gathering to watch him. He glanced at them, wondering about their former lives and functions, the latter of which seemed especially important to Arcanic. But they weren’t whispering to him this time, merely watching him with what felt like anticipation, excitement almost.

He stopped at a large circular dish set in the center of the tiled floor and let the fur cloak fall from his shoulders, no longer cold. Much like the pool he had just been to in the Darkened World, it looked as though it could have been used to gather rain for water. Corey ran curious fingers over its chipped, rough lining, confirming that it was be a collection platter for the Shard energy that came from the Conduit. Along the edges of the basin at regular intervals, tiny grooves had been cut into the wall of the collector. He followed some of the channels out away from the arena, nodding to himself as they grew bigger, from furrows into drains and then into large aqueducts far from the basin. Their passage was lost in the twist of the forest, but Corey felt certain the channels fed power into other parts of the Hallowed World.

Turning back to the basin, Corey noticed that a large hole was slowly opening at the very center of the dish, leading into darkness. At first it was big enough for his finger, then his hand, and once it stopped expanding, the hole was wide enough for him to place both fists, his forearms, and likely his shoulders inside. _Maybe a drain or culvert? Or perhaps it leads the Conduit down into the Darkened World?_

He moved away from the dish and instead climbed onto a plinth covered in thorny brambles and fallen leaves that was on the side furthest from the entrance. Two half arches rose up on either side, held aloft by some unseen means, and in the center was a tiny sphere of pure silver. “Hmm, another portal?” Corey frowned before reaching out with a finger and tapping the ball. He pulled his hand back quickly when the ball exploded sideways and formed a shimmering silver mirror reflecting a distorted vision of his surroundings. 

“I guess this is it.” Corey muttered and looked over his shoulder to find the Phase Walkers crowding around the basin, watching him silently, hungrily. “Yup, ok.” He steeled himself, took a deep breath, and then stepped through the portal.

Like the other times he had travelled this way, Corey felt as though a sheet of ice cold water had been dropped on him for about twenty seconds before the sensation vanished and he was back to normal. This time, he found himself in the Phased World, protected from the dangers of the Real World, but he was very far away from Beacon Hills if the signs over the shops in front of him were any indication. “This is one of those times I wish Mason was here.” Corey muttered to himself as he frowned at the symbols. “Ok, so, either Japan or China? Or somewhere else with squiggly lines. Damn, I wish I had my phone, but nope, I left it to charge in Beacon Hills.”

Corey craned his head backwards as he looked up at the tall sky scrappers all around him. He had been in San Francisco once before, but that was when he was ten and they were visiting his dying grandmother. This city was completely different to anything he had ever seen before. Explosions of bright lights crowded every street, along with thousands of people in every direction, walking and cycling and driving. It was only after a few minutes of watching the bustling sidewalks that Corey realized it was raining, the black tarmac under his feet turning into slick smoothness.

The Phasal Lord began walking down the street, safe in the confines of the Phased World. It was almost like existing in a bubble of clear air as people flowed around him and cars either passed through him or overtook him when Corey began to notice their presence again. Vibrant rainbows of light spilled out from open doors and into the street while a multitude of strange smells and foreign languages crashed over him. The citizens were more difficult to see however, the busy streets swarmed with people, their heads downcast in the heavy rain, obscured by high collars and umbrellas. The roads likewise were choked with traffic, fumes settling along clogged drains and overflowing sewers. 

Corey increased his speed, noticing that he was now able to move much faster in the Phased World than any time before. He emerged from the bustling commercial zone into a wide plaza with tall buildings on all sides and a massive, double tiered highway winding its way through the city. Cars and buses rushed past on the lower level while trams and trains shared lines to ferry the millions of residents from one part of the metropolis to the other. 

But all his wonder at the megacity faded away when Corey turned around and set his gaze on the skyscraper behind him. It was oppressive in its design, all steel and glass and black stone, reaching upwards towards a summit with a lightning rod and blinking red and green lights. The Phasal Lord frowned, concentrating until a lattice of Shard energy formed around him, a cage of power that acted almost like a compass: each way he turned a plume of the pure white energy extended back towards the tall building. 

Once he was facing it again, Corey raised a hand, speeding himself across the busy intersection and around the other buildings in his way. “There it is.” He muttered, feeling the energy shell around him shudder and spasm in response to the proximity of the Conduit. The Conduit itself appeared to be contained in the skyscraper, a pillar of energy that bounced and shook from side to side, almost as though it was trapped by the concrete and steel walls. Corey walked toward the steps leading to the entrance, his head craned upwards to see the Shard energy flaring and bleeding into the dark night sky. The building’s doors were flanked by two security guards, in ubiquitous dark suits and ear pieces, but Corey ignored them and passed through into the lobby.

The foyer was as austere as the exterior: black granite and heavy marble across every pillar and surface, the floor a shiny smoothness of grey tiles. To one side was a board with a list of what he assumed were companies and their floors, but as before, Corey couldn’t read the language. He paused next to a sharp sculpture of aluminum rods being sprayed with water and looked around carefully. His eyes began to water when the Shard energy revealed itself to him: as had been his suspicions outside, the Conduit was definitely contained in this building. Although the longer he looked at it, the more Corey was convinced that something unnatural was trapping the energy, instead of letting it flow through to the Phases below as it should.

“What are you people up to?” He murmured to himself and looked around the lobby again before spotting an elevator next to a long marble countertop which seemed to serve as the welcome desk. There was only one man behind it, looking down and occasionally typing on a keyboard. Corey looked around, waiting for his compass to pull him in the right direction, but all he felt was an overwhelming urge to sit down. “The basement then.”

As he approached the elevator, Corey paused and glanced over at the front desk, some instinct warning him that he wasn’t being as stealthy as he could be. The man had stiffened and was clearly sniffing the air, his nostrils flaring before he turned and looked directly at Corey. _A werewolf? Or some other supernatural?_ Corey froze and watched as the man came out from behind the desk, his hands hanging by his sides, claws silently emerging across his nails. _Does it matter? What are they doing with my energy? Why do they think they can have it?!_

Anger pulsed through him and Corey waited for the werewolf to get close enough, before he lunged towards, him, appearing for a few seconds in the Real World to grab the man and then pull them both into the Phased World. “Haha!” He laughed at the werewolf’s surprise and then grabbed the front of his shirt, slamming the creature into the wall next to the elevator. There was a crunch of breaking cartilage before the werewolf whirled around and tried to swing at Corey, but the Phasal Lord danced out of range and shook his head. “I should have tried this with Scott, saved us all a lot of trouble.”

The man said something Corey didn’t understand and then charged at him. Corey sped away to the other end of the lobby and held out his hands, feeling the Phased World tense and strain at his manipulations. The werewolf was running across the room at him, blue eyes bright and glowing, claws held aloft and ready to strike. _Almost…now!_ Corey wrenched his hands apart and forced a portal to form in the Phased World, grinning to himself when the werewolf fell straight into it. He flipped his hands over and pushed the portal into the ground, seeing a long drop back to the Hallowed World where dozens of Phase Walker ghosts were waiting below. 

The werewolf was holding onto the edge of the portal with the tips of his claws and Corey reached down to pull off the man’s security card and ID. “This could come in handy. Now…you see my friends down there?” Corey smiled heartlessly. “They’ve been down there a long time and are just _famished_ , what with you stealing our power source and all. Energy is energy, right? I think Mason said something about that once.” The Phasal Lord shrugged and then stomped on the werewolf’s fingers, watching him flail desperately before plunging into the mass of Phase Walkers. 

The security card only got him so far and Corey emerged into the Real World several levels below the surface, finding himself in a warren of identical looking corridors and doors. He glanced up sharply when an alarm began to screech overhead, and red lights flashed around him. The elevator chimed dully, and the buttons refused to work when Corey pressed them. “Damn it, had to be more than that one werewolf.” He avoided his gaze in the mirrored doors of the elevator, guilt creeping over him to settle in his stomach after what he had done to the werewolf in the lobby. _They’re not going to kill him though, right? I mean, it was just a threat…_

“I suppose it doesn’t matter now.” Corey sighed and stepped back into Phased World just as a trio of werewolf security guards trotted past. As he had done before, Corey let his new ability to sense the Shard energy guide him through the confusing layout of the hallways and past a locked door into a large laboratory that looked similar in many ways to Theo’s Zoo Lab in Hill Valley. Everything was white and tiled, no windows and bare florescent bulbs burned overhead as tables were clustered in front the wall before him. On each table was a variant of some sort of battery or storage device connected to a long white tube, each of which were in turn attached to a thick cable that was bundled in a loop against the wall. Corey followed the cable, oblivious to the presence of scientists in lab coats all around him, walking over to a large square box that had been installed on the floor. A much larger tube emerged from this apparatus which split off into yet more cables attached to different projects and experiments.

Corey frowned at the device for a moment until he saw the threads of curling Shard energy struggling to escape from the cables. His eyes widened when the full magnitude of the work going on hit him. _They’re not just redirecting the flow, they’re trying to use it! Thieves!_ “Murderers!” He screamed the final world aloud, exploding into the Real World with enough anger to cause the point of his entry to be ringed in blood red smoke. 

“Ahh!” The scientist nearest him yelped and threw some sort of beaker into the air. It shattered with a hiss as the liquid spilled onto the floor. 

“This power doesn’t belong to you. You have no idea what you’re doing!” Corey snarled, pointing aggressively at the box and tubes coming from it. “Maybe you can’t speak my language, but you can still show me where you’re siphoning the energy from!” The Phasal Lord glared at them as the scientists shrunk back from him. “No? Perhaps you just need some encouragement!” Corey snapped his fingers and smirked when his Phasal Brutes rose up from the Darkened World on their pillars of black smoke, advancing towards the scientists with bestial roars and menacing talons. 

“Level thirty-nine! Sub-level thirty-nine!” One of the scientists shouted at him as the Brutes moved closer, their fearsome tails swinging back and forth, destroying lab equipment and knocking over tables. “Here…my ID…you need it!” She held aloft her badge and cowered back as Corey marched over to snatch it from her trembling hands. “Now, you go! You go!”

“I’m far from finished with you,” Corey growled as anger churned through his mind like a river of molten rock. He raised his hand, about to order the Brutes to attack the scientists and punish them for their misuse of the Conduit. But before he issued the command, Corey felt his eyes water and his sight went blurry. In the edges of his vision, he could still see the lab, however directly in front of him was a room in the Temple of Fate. The Phasal Regents were gathered around some strange black pool, their hands outstretched, watching his every move, bolstering his abilities, attempting to influence his actions through their emotional bond. “Gah!” Corey shook his head, returning his vision to normal. He looked at the scientists, silent now as they stared at him in terror. Corey turned away, fading back into the Phased World. “I’m not Scott. I don’t just hurt people.”

Sub-level thirty-nine turned out to be a small room with a large, several feet thick, metal door that the scientist’s card wouldn’t get him past. Corey sighed and concentrated on something completely different to what he was currently doing, thinking about what Mason might be up to in the hospital, whether he was off whatever machines they had him on, if he actually believed Corey about Scott…and once his anger about the situation subsided, Corey found himself on the other side of the blast door, able to simply pass through it when he wasn’t thinking about the possibility of getting stuck in the middle. He sidled up to a thick wall that obscured his view of the room and then peeked around the corner, now in the Real World.

Another white room lay before him, similar to the labs above, but augmented more like an energy center for a powerplant like he had seen in a documentary he had watched with Mason several months before. The space was enormous, easily twice the length of the lobby and four times as wide, with a white paneled floor and thick black columns supporting the ceiling. There was a steel frame control box set up on his left, open at the back with thick glass on the front and a series of levers and switches visible in between the bodies of about a dozen scientists and technicians. Their attention was focused on the middle of the room, and Corey walked out from behind the wall before stopping dead.

“The Conduit.” He whispered, feeling a surge of pleasant warmth wash over and through him as the wide pillar of Shard energy became visible. In the center of the room, dominating all else was a vast pool of glowing white energy fed by the unending river of Shard energy. The Conduit cascaded down from a circular hole in the ceiling, black cladding around the aperture, perhaps to help contain the flaring power. Thick pipes snaked into the pool and were connected to other parts of the building, stealing away the energy to be used by the unworthy. Before, the stream of energy had been transparent, now it was opaque: brilliantly white, glowing with a restrained fury that Corey felt transfer into him the closer he got.

 _It’s also life and possibility and sustenance all intertwined in a single burst of pure energy!_ Arcanic’s words came back to him as Corey stood with his hands by his sides, his face tilted upwards toward the Conduit, almost like the sun on a hot summer’s day. There were a series of exclamations and excited cries from the control box and Corey scowled. “This is not for you, the Shard energy is mine! It is for my people!” The Phasal Lord clenched his fists, preparing to attack. “Brutes, let’s-woah!”

He jumped back in surprise when the control center abruptly crumpled and collapsed in on itself as though the steel was little more than a paper carton is his fist. The screams of those trapped inside were soon deafened by the grinding of gears and the whirr of the motor that opened the blast door behind him. Dozens of blue clad security guards came running towards him, pulling out not guns, but claws. He glanced from his fist to the broken control box and then up to the guards as they continued coming closer. “Oops, did not mean to do that…”

The Phasal Brutes shuddered into existence beside him and looked at Corey expectantly. “Err, yeah, do what you do best.” He nodded at the approaching werewolves. “Take ‘em!” Corey smirked to himself as he watched the Brutes charge forward and smash into the first two werewolves, tossing one back into his fellows, while the other was gored on the horned Brute’s razer sharp tusks. “Good, hold them back.”

Corey began walking towards the pool of Shard energy, feeling his own power grow and strengthen as more of the Conduit’s energy diverted away from the basin and earthed itself in his chest. Some of the werewolf guards managed to evade his Brutes but were repelled by an oscillating sphere of energy that formed around the Phasal Lord. He reached the edge of the pool and then kept going, stepping over the lip and walking into the energy lake. A guard tried to follow him but was disintegrated seconds after touching the Shard energy. 

“Fool.” Corey muttered as the rest of the guards stayed back, watching him fearfully. He kept moving until he reached the center of the pool where the Conduit was being restrained. The hot liquid was up to his chest now, still glowing a pure, blinding white. He reached out with one hand and pushed into the Conduit.

His touch was enough, and Corey felt the pillar of energy shake and quiver, the momentum becoming highly unstable until at last it shook free of the shackles of the pool and spilled outwards. There was a howling roar of a hundred mile an hour wind, deafening him to the point of numbness as his eyes were blinded. He could still see somehow, the energy of the Conduit expanding his senses and his range until his vision was blown out wide so he could see the entirety of the city where the Conduit had been trapped.

Corey felt himself being pulled into the Phased World, riding the wave of energy newly redirected from the Real World and plunging deep into the other Phases. Turning back to look at the city, he watched as the structure containing the Shard Conduit bulged and expanded unnaturally, the shrieking sound increasing until it turned to a pillar of blinding white fire, shuddering and shaking and roaring as though under incredible pressure. The Phasal Lord nodded and without warning the skyscraper that had tried to contain the Conduit exploded upwards in a vertical column. Like a volcano, fire and debris shot into the air, riding on the pulsing fury of the unrestrained Shard energy. “As it should be.”

The Conduit returned to its natural, invisible state in the Real World, flowing through the ruins of the building and down into the other Phases. 

“Most impressive, my lord.” Arcanic appeared next to him as Corey watched the Shard energy churn out of the collection basin in the Hallowed World and through the aqueducts to restore the other parts of the Phase. “The process has already begun in Cordanick, would you care to witness the capital being rebuilt?”

“Sure.” Corey nodded, suddenly tired after the adventure. “I didn’t think it would be like that.”

“Hmm?”

“Some company or organization was trying to harvest the Conduit for power.” He replied as they transitioned seamlessly from the Hallowed World and into the Darkened World. “Werewolves were involved.”

“When are they not?!”

“Humph.” Corey grunted, filing the response away as something to be analyzed later. “So, the capital gets rebuilt first?”

“It _is_ the seat of the Shard Emperor.” Arcanic laughed, a musical, bubbly sound that was slightly disconcerting as the Phase Walker still hadn’t manifested anything that looked like a mouth. “Come, come, look now.”

They moved from one Phase to the other in the space of a single heartbeat, arriving a little away from the Portal of Awakening, standing on one of the battlements that had already been repaired. “Impressive.” Corey whispered, watching as the magnificent, diamond outer walls of the fortified city rebuilt themselves. The interior sections were slowly reforming or appearing in large segments to fit back together again; houses and shops and a dozen other types of red-roofed buildings whose function he could only guess at. The Conduit had earthed itself in the collection platter next to the Portal of Awakening that Arcanic had shown him earlier and the waves of energy that pulsed out from it were invigorating, banishing his tiredness. 

Corey walked across the restored battlements of the Imperial Palace, looking down at a wide boulevard that led straight from the main gate to a large plaza made from shining tiles that were slowly spreading out in concentric circles. The walls of the star-shaped fortress were sloped and sheer, the carvings that had adorned them re-etched in all their startling glory. Images of battles and monument building graced the walls on Corey's left, while those on his right seemed to be a chronicle of the Phasal Brutes, each one larger and more fearsome than the last. 

Turning around to view the palace itself, Corey stepped back to appreciate the fullness of its majesty. It was made of some material that had the smooth polish of marble but featured a collision of colors not unlike his familiar's coat; something that reflected the mood of the one who was looking at it. The stone itself was heavily and ornately carved and engrained with symbols and patterns too many for him to count. The pillared colonnade that led to the grand front doors swept from one side of the entranceway to the other, and a series of polished silver steps granted access from the city below while terraces on either side allowed for guests and dignitaries to stroll through the gardens and gaze down on those in the city below. 

“I see more Phase Walkers are returning.” Corey said as they walked back to where the Portal of Awakening was situated. “Who decides who comes out first?”

“Most of the Phasal Regents have reformulated in their original shapes; they are waiting for you in the Temple of Fate.” Arcanic replied, letting Corey walk in front of him as they passed through a rapidly greening maze. “But for the others, it is based on necessity, although you can change the priorities, my lord.”

“Me?” Corey looked at Arcanic in confusion. “Why me?”

“Who else do you think we’re building the palace for? The Regents said that you accepted their offer.” Arcanic held his gaze with slowly manifesting eyes. “You _will_ be our next Emperor.”

“Yeah, but I didn’t think it meant…all this.” Corey gestured vaguely at the crowds of shining Phase Walkers gathered around the pool of Shard energy, clearly waiting for the next new arrival. “Huh, the Conduit feels different here.”

“It is where it is meant to be: the tether for all Phases.” Arcanic sounded pleased and a golden aura brightened around its humanoid form. “Many echoes can now retake their physical form, thanks to you. Welcome home, my lord.”

“Home.” Corey echoed, as a sensation of contentment and security enveloped him. “Is this what it’s meant to feel like?”


	4. The Lost Ones

Corey stepped back from the edge of the balcony, pulling his gaze away from the rapid rebuilding work that was happening below him. The city of Cordanick stretched as far as he could see in either direction; block after block of meticulously planned avenues, beautiful plazas, shrubbery and plants in a multitude of colors and shades, and tall, graceful stone buildings, their masonry shining with a luminous silver as copper roofs formed atop the rafters. The sky overhead was equally as bright, the Shard energy flowing across the city through the air, draped in places like a heavy dew before it moved onwards, different buildings and structures reforming in its wake.

He had been in the palace for an hour, perhaps longer, catching his breath after everything that had happened with the restoration of the second Conduit. Arcanic had left him alone for a while, withdrawing as Corey watched the city take shape, but the Phasal Lord could hear footsteps behind him and the soft whisper of familiar voices. Corey turned around fully and stepped back into the round chamber that was just off the grand entrance hallway of the palace. He waited for his eyes to adjust to the darker interior and then walked over to Arcanic who was standing nearby. “Err, am I to meet with the other Regents now?”

“If you are ready, my lord, they are expecting you in the Temple of Fate.” Arcanic bowed and gestured towards the door. “They will wait of course, if you want more time to explore the city or recover your strength after the previous mission.”

“Yeah, uh, it’s strange, I thought I’d be tired or hungry.” Corey frowned. “But I’m not. It’s the Conduit, right?”

“We do not require sustenance as long as the Conduits are connected. You are not as we are-not yet-but the Conduit flows through you as though you were fully Phase Walker.” Arcanic explained as they began to walk out of the room and into the long hallway beyond. “The Shard energy feeds us, restores us, maintains us. For years beyond counting, we had to exist only on the memory of such power, slowly losing more and more of our shape, our minds, ourselves.”

“The ghosts.” Corey muttered as he looked around the now bustling corridors, Phase Walkers hurrying along with whatever tasks they had. “It’s getting busy around here, are you preparing for something?”

“Yes, my lord.” Arcanic nodded and let Corey walk ahead of him again. “Much is to be done to prepare for the coronation; there has not been one for…for so long I do not even remember, haha!” 

“Err, right. Uh, can I ask you something, Arcanic?” Corey paused when they reached the large gold doors that led into the courtyard. He glanced at the tall, humanoid figures lining the pathway, wisps of white smoke emerging from the hallow spaces in their mouths and chests. _Guards?_ “Uh, how long has it actually been since the Conduits were lost?”

“Time is a difficult construct to consider, especially here.” Arcanic replied, leading him through the courtyard and towards a large circular plinth of marble. “For many Phase Walkers, time is divided into the present, which is eternal, and the past, which is what has happened before.”

“Yeah, humans do kinda the same thing.” Corey frowned again. “I guess, I’m just confused because Theo said that one of the Dread Doctors came here, maybe a hundred, two hundred years ago and stole, uh, materials to make traps and, uh, chimeras.” He arched a brow when Arcanic seemed to smile at him without offering an answer. “Err, ok. Maybe the Regents will know. Um, how are we getting to the temple?”

“This way.” Arcanic held both hands aloft and made an action as though he was breaking a loaf of bread in half. The air between them shimmered and became liquid-like, a portal forming with ripples like a stone had been dropped in a pond. “After you, my lord.”

“Handy.” Corey nodded and stepped through, the sensation being more pleasant than the previous time he had used a portal. A wave of warmth and comfort flooded his body and infused every limb before vanishing a few seconds later. Corey emerged in a room he didn’t recognize, even if the materials it was constructed of were similar. The walls had the same almost organic dark grey texture as those in the twisting tunnels under the Temple of Fate. 

He moved away from the portal, looking down when he noticed the stylized hands emerging from the floor as though to prop the gateway up. Several dozen sets of hands were placed along the walls of the room, although only a few already had open portals, the view beyond the pools of silver were out of focus, hinting at other cities, wild lands, mountains and rivers. 

Corey turned around when he heard the doors grind open, watching as a group of seven Phase Walkers approached him. These were different from the others he had seen; covered in plates of metal like Medieval knights, their energy contained in the suits with only the circular eye holes of their helmets allowing the glow to escape. One stepped forward towards him, its armor heavily engraved in a flowing golden script that Corey began to understand the more he swept his gaze over the figure. _A hero, a guardian, a knight._ The…knight stopped stiffly in front of him and then, with a metallic clanking, knelt down, its head bowed. The others of the group mimicked the action and Corey looked around in a panic as the first one spoke in a booming, sonorous voice.

“We have arisen once more, my lord.”

“Err, Arcanic? What are they doing? Who are these guys?”

“They are the Keepers of the Shards.” His advisor padded forward and likewise bowed. “They are your…personal guard.”

“Oh, like the Secret Service, huh?” Corey smirked. “Cool!”

“They have only just been reformulated, otherwise they would have helped you with the second Conduit.”

“So, I’ll have backup for the third one?” Corey nodded and gestured for the knights to stand up. “That’s both great and slightly worrying, I handled the other one just fine alone.”

“The third Conduit is…more remote.” Arcanic grimaced, its features becoming more nuanced the longer the Phase Walker spent around Corey. “But it is not my place to tell you of this; the Keepers will take you to the Regents, I must return to the palace.”

“Oh? You’re not coming with?”

“There is much to be done, especially to adapt your quarters for your, hmm, human needs.” Arcanic looked uncomfortable for a moment before the expression passed. “Everything will be much more comfortable when you return.”

“Uh, ok, I’m not going to be here forever though, I’ll want to return to my own Phase.” Corey explained gently. “But, uh, hey, it’ll be great to have somewhere to call home down here.”

“As you say, my lord.”

The Keepers guided him through several long corridors that seemingly ran for miles under the structure before they emerged into a part of the Temple of Fate that Corey hadn’t seen before. Well, not quite, he paused when they passed a sunken circle in the floor. Black liquid filled the depression, pouring out from an orb held aloft by a pillar of the dark ichor. “Wait, this is the place where they were spying on me, trying to manipulate my thoughts and emotions.” Corey frowned and then looked around quickly as the knights stepped backwards, forming a loose box around him, allowing another set of Phase Walkers to approach him.

“You’re the Council of Regents, aren’t you?” Corey asked once the group got closer, their various forms becoming more familiar, although still very different from the tall ghostly humanoids they had been the previous times he had seen them. Now, the Phasal Lords resembled the Keepers, most of them clad in suits of armor as though it was a means to contain their spirits, luminous essence leaking out from between the gaps in the metal plates that covered their bodies. Their heads remained bare, revealing drawn faces with much more detail than Arcanic’s own, making it easier to tell their potential gender. Each of the Regents had some type of headwear on: floppy hats or curved, smooth helmets, while the one at the center-the one whom Corey recognized from the first time-was sporting a circlet of gold and emeralds with tall, bony spires reaching upwards. 

The Regents stopped in front of him and bowed in unison, gesturing towards him with one arm before they straightened up again. The one with the circlet appeared to smile, his glowing lips pulling apart to reveal chrome teeth. “I am called Tochra, the others…you will learn their names in time.”

“You couldn’t have told me that the first time we met?”

“Before the second Conduit was reconnected we did not remember who we were. Come, my lord.” Tochra explained, indicating that Corey should follow them deeper into the chamber. “So much was lost, and now, much has been recovered, but it will take time to remember everything: who we were, where we are-”

“Why you’re here?” Corey interrupted, looking around at the room as Tochra inclined his head. It bore a striking resemblance to the entryway of the Temple; a long hallway interspaced with black columns which disappeared into the gloom of the ceiling. It all led up to a raised dais and a tall stained glass window that stretched from floor to ceiling. In this room however, the window was still reforming, tails of Shard energy tracing across it like ghostly fingers, repairing the glass and injecting fresh new colors into the picture. It was still hard to discern what the image was, but Corey’s attention snapped back to the platform once they began to climb the smooth steps up to it. Rising from the cream colored surface were eight seats of complicated and unnatural design. Only the flat panel at the center of each one gave away its purpose. “What are these?”

“The palace in Cordanick is where the Shard Emperor lives, but it is here, in the Temple of Fate that the great works of our civilization are planned and brought to life.” Tochra gestured at the grandest chair rising from the ground, a throne of glossy black material with twisting branches like a rose bush which encircled the seat and curled around the headrest in an elaborate crown. “Keep watching.”

“Err, ok.” Corey frowned, seeing that the center of the dais had begun to erode away, turning to loose sand which fell into some unseen pit. A crystalline construct was revealed, a sort of repository similar to the one at the palace, if somewhat grander. “This is where the final Conduit goes, isn’t it?”

“Yes, my lord.” Tochra smiled again. “Once the third Conduit is redirected from where it has been diverted, the Phases will finally be fully powered again. Your quest will be complete.”

“Not much for taking things slow, are you?” Corey smirked as the Regents glanced among themselves in apparent confusion. “Uh, I don’t have a sense of time passing down here, and I’ve never spent so long in this Phase. What’s happening above us?”

“You mean in the Inflexible World?”

“Uh, yeah, I guess so.”

“Moraic, would you care to show him?” Tochra asked one of the other Regents, a figure clad in layers of sky blue fabric wrapped snugly around its body leaving only a gap for three eyes to look out at the world. 

“But of course.” Moraic’s voice was a sibilant whisper and the Phasal Lord gestured for Corey to follow, guiding him over to a large white marble fountain, its surface perfectly still. “I understand that you have used such abilities before, my lord?”

“A few times, it’s been handy to spy on my…former friends.” Corey grimaced, stepping up to the stylized edge of the pool. “I’m guessing it’s something similar to what you did to me during the last quest?”

“We only sought to guide your steps, my lord, to add our knowledge to yours.” Tochra replied carefully. “We understand now that the mental bridge is not common among your…among those who live in the Inflexible World.”

“Huh. Ok, show me Mason.” Corey grunted, nodding at the liquid. He watched as the image slowly resolved from a blurry outline to a clear picture. “He’s still in the hospital, damn. But it’s a different room, more machines, but no tubes going into his nose or mouth. That’s good. Hmm, pull out, I want to see the hallway outside.”

Moraic extended several arms over the basin and waved its hands through the air, lightly glancing against the surface, forming ripples in the liquid. The image changed, as though it was a camera zooming out through the hospital doorway and into the corridor beyond it, revealing Liam and Scott standing against the opposite wall. Neither was speaking, but their postures suggested they were waiting for something or someone.

“Hmm.” Corey grunted and shook his head. “No. Go down to the nurses’ station, I want to see a computer screen, check the date.” He waited as Moraic again manipulated the image and then frowned when he saw the calendar in the corner of the nearest monitor. “Ten hours…why does it feel like so much longer?”

“Much has happened since you redirected the first Conduit, my lord.” Tochra said, sliding into Corey’s view. “And your task is nearly complete, soon you can return to the Inflexible World.”

“Even if I can, I’m not sure I should.” He sighed. “These two; they’ve lied, misled Mason’s parents, everyone thinks I’m the problem. But Scott is the one who caused all of this.” Corey shook his head and then lashed out, slapping his hand into the fountain and destroying the image. “Enough, gah! I’ll deal with them once Mason wakes up. Maybe drag them down here where _I’m_ in command…”

“Your enemies are our enemies.” Moraic whispered, its eyes burning bright for a few seconds. “We will gladly help you destroy them all!”

“Yeah,” Corey sighed, the anger draining away. He turned back towards the dais and nodded at Tochra. “Tell me about the final Conduit.”

“So let me get this straight,” Corey said as he ran a critical eye over the ghostly map levitating in front of him. “The Conduit isn’t here, and it isn’t even on Earth, it’s in another galaxy, is that right?”

“At the height of our power, the Shard Empire stretched throughout the stars,” Tochra explained, changing the scale of the map as Corey leaned forward. “In the Hallowed and Darkened Worlds we manipulated and created new cities, fortresses, conquered endless lands. Our empire expanded, but so did the gulf between the Seat of the Emperor in Cordanick and those who were growing our territory. They felt as though the Shard energy should be used differently and so, there was a…schism.”

“Go on.”

“They are known as The Scattered, cut off from the Empire’s power and forced to subsist on the scraps of Shard energy left over from the creation of these new places.” Tochra continued after a moment’s silent contemplation. “They created a machine, it took many years, but eventually they were able to divert the Conduit away from the Temple of Fate and direct it into their machine.”

“So, I have to steal it back?” Corey asked, reclining in the surprisingly comfortable throne. He noticed the way the Regents glanced at each other and frowned. “Or not?”

“Something went wrong with their device, our forces joined the Emperor when he confronted our enemy. The machine malfunctioned, misfired perhaps and it created an abyss.” Tochra pointed at the edge of the map where the features disappeared into a black void. “The Conduit’s energy was stolen, sucked into this pit, leaving The Scattered as desolate as before. Our attempts to reclaim it failed, worse than failed, our Emperor was sucked of his power when he entered the pit to restore the Conduit. Nothing was left but the armored shell that kept his form intact.”

“I thought you didn’t have gender?” Corey asked as he leaned back and considered what Tochra had just said.

“But you do, we will adjust our culture to fit your expectations, my lord.” 

“That seems…a bit much.” Corey blinked and then nodded. “Uh, ok, um, so your leader couldn’t solve this, he even got consumed by the, err…sounds like a black hole. But yeah, why do you expect me to be different?”

“It is called the Inflexible World because no Phase Walker, Lord, or Regent has ever been able to affect it.” Tochra answered as Corey frowned in confusion. “But we have seen you do so; in that laboratory, in the presence of the Conduit, it leant you abilities that no one else has.”

“I suppose that’s true…” Corey trailed off abruptly as a memory flashed back at him: the werewolf he had thrown into the Hallowed World. “Um, during my mission, I tossed a guy into one of the Phases, do you know what happened to him? Like, the Phase Walkers didn’t eat him or anything?”

“No, of course not.”

“Ah, good.”

“The werewolf fled but was later captured and placed in the cairn: a sort of prison.” Tochra added when Corey frowned. “We can return him to the Inflexible World.”

“Or just leave him there?” Corey chuckled. “I thought for sure he’d be, like, fed to the Conduit or something!”

“If that is your will, my lord, it will be done.” Tochra started to gesture at one of the Keepers before Corey broke in with a shout.

“No! No, uh, just, just let him go, return him to where he was before.” 

“As you wish.”

“So, um, back on topic, uh, The Scattered, are they still around?” Corey settled back into his throne again. “Is this going to be like the last time? Things got pretty insane with all those werewolves. Even with new powers, I’m not sure-”

“The Keepers will go with you,” Tochra stood up along with the other Regents. “We will remain here, if you need us, you need only ask, and we will hear you.”

“Oh, uh, good.” Corey got to his feet and nodded. “I’m not sure how that will work, but you all seem pretty confident so let’s do this!”

Corey looked around as he waited for the remaining Keepers to come through the portal; two had gone ahead of him to secure their arrival point before he himself went through, emerging into a sand blasted desert. The air was uncomfortably hot and dry, already his lips feeling chafed from the howling wind that roared over the red sand dunes. The sky was equally scarlet, a deep, angry crimson that gave way in parts to swirling pink clouds and slashes of green that looked as though they were oozing wounds in the clouds. The landscape was utterly barren, the sun setting in the far distance over endless dunes and hills, no sign of trees or shrubs or animals.

He cleared his throat and spat out the gritty texture that he had inhaled. “Ugh, I really wish I had a mask or something.” One of the Keepers turned to him and held out a metal gauntlet, palm up. Corey’s eyes widened as one of their helmets materialized in the knight’s hand. “Oh, cool! I like having backup!” He took the helmet-which was surprisingly light-and put it on, the metal fitting snugly against his face, his mouth and nose covered by some sort of fine mesh which seemed to filter out the abrasive sand. “Thank you.”

“This way, my lord.” The Keeper pointed to a tall hill in the distance. “I have been here before with the Emperor.”

“Ok, let’s go.” Corey nodded and took the lead, the other Keepers falling into step around him. They kept turning and looking this way and that, as though on constant watch for an attacker or threat. The trek was arduous, and Corey heard every breath echo in his ears, but at least the howling gale and flying sand particles were kept away from him. He glanced at the nearest Keeper, the same one that had made his helmet. “So, uh, are there more of you?”

“Yes, my lord, more will come in the next round of reformulation.” The Keeper looked at him, its ghostly essence bleeding from the empty eye sockets before being whipped away by the wind. “We were reconstructed first, but the armies of the Shard Empire will rise again, more powerful than before, especially once you reconnect the final Conduit.”

“Armies, huh? What for?”

“The Scattered remain a threat, they are here somewhere, likely watching us.” The Keeper glanced over Corey’s shoulder. “I do not think they will attack us, not yet. They want to see if we have Shard energy they can siphon, but they will need to gather their strength. I fear that resetting the Conduit will empower them also.”

“Do you have a name?”

“I am Rascon, my lord.”

“Corey, but I guess you already know that.” They began to approach the hill and the sand became more compact, less prone to sudden shifting. “Do you have to keep calling me ‘my lord’ or will you use my name?”

“Whatever you desire.”

“Ok.” He nodded again, but instead of continuing their conversation, Corey remained silent, concentrating on climbing up the hill. It took a few minutes, but as they crested the rise, his tiredness fell away, replaced by awe at the sight in front of him. There was a rock-lined valley beneath them, the red sand driven into heaped mounds at its edge, while in the center, an enormous machine had fallen from a supporting structure on the other side of the valley, half buried in the sand. “Is that it? The machine Tochra spoke of?”

“It is called the Annihilation Engine.” Rascon replied. “I have seen it before when we accompanied the Shard Emperor to this place. It was raised on that platform then, facing the sky like a giant disk.”

“Hmm.” Corey frowned, studying the intricate, if jagged, design that covered the part of the machine facing them. It looked like an immense mechanical flower, with petals of a strange orange metal that gleamed dully in the setting sun, and a core of complex gears and wheels, each of which must have been as large as a house. The center of the flower was a blackened circle with scorch marks extending to some of the petals that still pointed upwards into the air. “I don’t see the Conduit.”

“It was here, the energy flowed into the middle of the machine, a chamber that was collecting it for some nefarious purpose.” Rascon pointed towards the other structure behind the Annihilation Engine. “The Scattered were gathered there, eager to stop us when…a beam of energy fired into the sky. Perhaps the clouds are blocking our view?”

“But it is here, I can feel it.” Corey muttered and walked forward. Chills raced up and down over his body, his skin turning to gooseflesh as he neared the edge of the valley and looked up at the sky. Corey glanced down at his hands, slowly turning them over and pulling his fingers into fists. “Last time I was close to the Conduit, I could do some pretty amazing things. I wonder if…” He hesitated and then thrust a hand into the air, some hidden knowledge sparking in his mind.

At first nothing happened, and then he felt a tremor, a micro-quake that slowly built up into a resonant roar that filled the space around him. The wind abruptly slackened and then gathered around him in a rapid tornado, swirling up and up as it shot from his hand into the clouds overhead. He wasn’t quite sure how it was happening, only that he wanted the clouds to part and they did. The gale rushed higher and higher until it was whipping against the undersides of the ragged pink clouds. Corey unclenched his fist and watched as the clouds were yanked away, flung into the far corners of the sky to reveal the desolation above. “Oh, hell.”

The Phasal Lord kept looking up, entranced by the swirl of the cosmos above them, the inky darkness of the galaxy was resplendent overhead, but so too was the shining silver beam of Shard energy contained in the Conduit. It arched over the planet, pulled off course by an approaching black hole-the pit that Tochra had spoken about-its energy sucked into the spherical abyss. Corey frowned at it and pressed his lips together. “I don’t know how I can correct this.”

“If you could put the Annihilation Engine back on its axis, the Conduit might be redirected.” Rascon suggested. “The void did not appear until The Scattered activated the weapon-earlier than they had planned because of our arrival.”

“Yeah, because lifting that thing into place is _so_ much easier!” Corey snapped and shook his head. “I don’t know, let’s get down there, there might be another solution we haven’t considered.”

Their descent was steeper than he had anticipated, but the Keepers gathered close to him and Corey was able to stop his rapid slide by grabbing hold of their armored limbs. Strangely, the metal was warm to the touch, almost organic in the way it felt against his hands. At the base of the valley’s walls, Corey was able to see the Annihilation Engine better, picking out more details around its yawning central chamber. It was grander than anything else he had ever seen, stretching hundreds of feet into the air. There were a number of thick tubes extending out from the dark pit of the machine, not unlike those that had been connected to the second Conduit, although all but two of the tubes had been broken or destroyed.

He followed one of the pipes away from the machine, tracing its passage across the sandy valley floor and into a squat building constructed of large blocks of reddish stone. It was barely a story high and Corey pointed at the wall nearest to them. “Make me a doorway.” The Keepers nodded and charged the wall, breaking into it with ease. Corey stepped inside, waving his hand at the cloud of dust that rose off the archaic machines stacked in rows along the opposite wall.

The tube continued inside and fed into a large round cylinder that sat at the middle of the building. Unlike the rest of the equipment, this machine was still humming, giving off heat, and several dozen lights blinked around its edge. Corey walked over to it and held his hand out, not touching the surface. “Hmm, I wonder what it does.”

“My lord Corey?” Rascon was standing next to a control panel with several knobs and dials. “Is this of any use?”

“I don’t want to just start throwing leavers and pushing buttons.” He shook his head and turned away, walking outside again. “I’m stumped. Hmm, tell me again what happened when you were last here.”

“We approached the valley from the other side, the Emperor confronted The Scattered and gave them an ultimatum: re-join our civilization and surrender control of the Conduit.”

“Or?”

“Or become one with the Shard energy forever.”

“Ah, ok.” Corey began to pace back and forth. “They obviously refused and then?”

“They fired their weapon, the Annihilation Engine released a great roar and the Conduit’s energy was forced back on itself. It turned away from the machine and formed a glowing circle before collapsing and creating the void above us. The Conduit was forced into the void and the Annihilation Engine went silent.” Rascon finished his story with a shrug. “That is it.”

“But Tochra told me that the Emperor managed to get into the black hole, that’s how he was killed.” Corey stroked his chin thoughtfully. “Not that I think I want to do that. Bring me up to the structure where you faced The Scattered before.”

On the other side of the valley, the Annihilation Engine looked less impressive; its underside revealed to be bolted together with thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of rods. The structure that it had been built on had been eroded by the elements to little more than bare metal arms rusted and withered away, not so different to how the Phased Worlds had looked before Corey restored the Conduits. 

He stepped forward onto a small metal pad which looked out of place among the sand and ruins. Before he had time to protest, Corey was flung upwards into the sky, far above the ground. “Ah!” He gasped and looked around, clutching at his throat as he expected to be unable to breathe. But despite the altitude, he found he could draw air in just as easily as before. “Ok, so, that happened.”

The Phasal Lord looked around, floating as he was far above the planet’s surface. He was also uncomfortably close to the black hole and Corey grimaced, expecting to be pulled inside at any moment. 

“Another has arrived.” A dry voice called out to him and Corey spun around quickly. “Do not be afraid, I have been waiting for this day.”

“Who…what are you?” Corey muttered as he stared at the silvery outline that was forming against the stars. He watched as the figure solidified a little more, becoming not unlike the ghosts of the Phase Walkers Corey had encountered before the Conduits were restored. “You’re a…wait, are you the Shard Emperor?”

“The last one, yes.” The figure continued to form, drawing energy from the Conduit which flowed overhead until it was much more recognizably humanoid. The Emperor was clad in glowing robes and the whispered echo of a crown sat upon his head. He appeared to smile at Corey and pointed at him. “Long ago I was trapped here, unable to fall into the Conduit and return to my people, but equally unable to leave and go down to destroy The Scattered. Instead, I have watched as my civilization withered and died. But no more.”

“I suppose you want your job back, huh?” Corey smirked, the expression fading when the Emperor shook his head. “Why not?”

“I failed, I was not strong enough to retake that which was stolen from us.” He sighed again, a breathy hiss in the silence of the void. “But you are different, Shard energy flows through you like no other, as though you yourself are a Conduit. You can restore the one above us, and so much more besides.”

“I’m not sure I believe that.” Corey muttered, embarrassed by the praise.

“You do not have to believe it, you will see for yourself soon enough. Take my power and use it to restore our empire to greatness!” The Emperor smiled at him and extended both hands as though reaching for a hug. Before Corey could respond, the figure exploded into a fine silver mist which flew towards him.

“Urgh!” Corey coughed as the mist engulfed him and settled over his body. _What the hell?!_ He could feel the pleasing warmth of the Conduit overhead, the Shard energy arcing outwards away from the grip of the collapsed star and sinking into his chest and arms as it had done previously, this time mingling with the Emperor’s power. Corey shook himself and turned around, feeling much more in control than he had a few seconds before. “Uh, the ground, I think.”

Corey blinked and in an instant he fell towards the surface, slowing his descent with a single raised finger, allowing him to land gracefully among the Keepers. “Sorry about that, I didn’t mean to leave you behind.”

“Are you alright, my lord?”

“Oh yes, I feel much better!” Corey grinned at him and turned towards the Annihilation Engine. He strode confidently towards the edge of the canyon and then reached out with both hands. It was as though he was holding two magnets near each other, their invisible strength pulling at the other. The Phasal Lord smirked when the sound of grinding metal reached his ears and he began to lift his hands slowly, watching as the dented petals of the machine rose from where they had fallen. 

The petals screeched and scratched against each other as Corey continued to use his new powers to haul the immense machine out of the sand. It was floating in the air now, turning ever so slowly on its axis as Corey raised a hand, as though fixing it in place. He glanced back at the Keepers and nodded. “This is it.”

“We are ready for whatever might happen.”

“Oh, that’s good, because I have no idea what _could_ happen.” Corey grimaced before he turned back to the machine and looked up at the black hole above them. “I just hope it actually works.” He concentrated for a moment and then pushed with his hands, sending the Annihilation Engine towards the black hole. It moved quickly, continuing to rotate, gathering more speed. Corey watched with narrowed eyes until he saw the Conduit buckle and jump out of its direct beam into the void, instead locking onto the machine. “Now!”

Corey clenched both hands and dragged them backwards, as though grasping a rope and pulling a stray boat back to the jetty. He grinned when the Conduit came back with the machine, although the expression faltered as soon as he heard a high pitched whine from the Annihilation Engine, electricity arcing across its components and causing the gears to spin wildly. “It’s starting up again!”

“Secure the Conduit, we will deal with the Engine!” Rascon shouted at him.

“I know, I got this!” Corey replied, changing his focus to the beam of Shard Energy. He reached up as though to grab the Conduit in his hands despite the distance between them. The Annihilation Engine was plummeting to the earth now, but Corey could feel the energy flowing towards him and with a final push, he saw the Conduit snap free of the machine and whirl around, scoring a deep furrow into the sand dunes before it whipped around and arced overhead to somewhere in the far distance.

“Ah! Hah! Yes! We did it!” Corey cheered, looking up to see the black hole buckle and shake before falling in on itself and disappear from view. He winced when the Annihilation Engine crashed into the ground nearby with an earth shattering screech of twisted metal. Rascon reached out and grabbed him as Corey was flung forwards by the blast, the impact sending out waves of flames and dust for miles in every direction. “Ooof!” 

“Thanks.” Corey nodded as he climbed back to his feet. “I feel different, stronger, like I can do anything, like I can do…this.” He snapped his fingers and grinned as a suit of armor identical to the Keepers materialized out of thin air and fitted around him. It was as light as his helmet and Corey grinned to himself. “Or I could do something else; who needs a desert when we could have a garden? Haha!”

Another snap of his fingers and the barren red sands were ripped away, replaced in an instant by a lush oasis, verdant waist high grass surrounded them, and the valley below was suddenly filled with clear blue water. A flock of alien birds took off from nearby palm trees and soared over the azure skies. “Haha, this is awesome!”

“The Conduits have been restored, my lord Corey. You use its powers as only the emperors of the past have, the Keepers of the Shards salute you.” Rascon bowed towards him. “I can feel it as well; the Shard energy flows through us once again.”

“But it has not gone unnoticed.” Another of the Keepers pointed to something in the distance. “The Scattered, my lord, they crave Shard energy, they will devour us if we do not leave.”

“Leave?” Corey shook his head. “Why would I leave when I have all this power? No. I would see these creatures, and they will see me. They will cower before my power! Hahahaha!” _And when I’m done here, how about we see just how much flexibility I can add to the Real World?! I’d like to see Scott push me around then!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter took me a lot longer than I would have liked to write. I had some ideas for a puzzle section for Corey to restore the third Conduit, but I just couldn’t make something so visual work for a written piece. I am to have the next chapter written in about three weeks or so.


	5. Confronting the Scattered

He snapped his fingers and ramparts of stone and silver shot up from the ground, a formidable castle rising to stand among the palm trees and waters of the oasis. Corey walked forward with the Keepers of the Shards at his side, he looked over the battlements, the designs taken from his memory and made real, spotting a rising cloud of dust approaching from the opposite direction than they had arrived. “Hmm, these are the Scattered?”

“Yes, my lord.” Rascon replied, pointing past him towards a larger figure than the others. “I know this one, it is called Eerfonce, a leader among their…a leader.”

“But not _the_ leader?” Corey mused to himself, feeling secure behind the thick stone walls. “Did they copy us and proclaim a false Emperor?”

“No, my lord.” Another of the knights spoke up as the others formed a tight circle behind Corey. “Their repulsive individuality prevents this, they have leaders only to find the next source of Shard energy to steal and feed on.”

“Hmm.” Corey hummed under his breath, noting the obvious disgust in the Phase Walker’s tone when he spoke. “You have faced them before?”

“No, not directly. After the previous Emperor was consumed by the void, our tether was cut, and we dematerialized.” Rascon explained, gesturing to the sky above them. “The Conduit broke free of its connection and its energy was lost. So, no, my lord, we have not fought them. But we have fought many other things; we are not alone in this galaxy.”

“Woah.” Corey breathed as the realization settled over him. “Aliens, huh? I’ll have to hear about it some other time. But for now…” He trailed off and stepped forward, gesturing with one hand as he created a platform jutting out from the ramparts, railing sliding up for security. Corey climbed onto it and looked down as the Scattered gathered in a large group beneath him. 

There were perhaps three hundred, perhaps more, he was uncertain, their shapes flickering like a candle’s flame in the wind. Unlike the Phase Walkers he had seen so far, with their energy forms and occasional faces created to make it easier for him to talk to, the Scattered were utterly separate and distinct. There was a large variety of forms and appearances, all of them unique and opposite to each other, no single member of the horde looked the same. Some of them were akin to pools of energy stored in containers of natural materials, sloshing around inside, others were more humanoid, with long spindly limbs and orb-like heads, the impression of narrow eyes burning among the glow of their energy. Yet others were airborne and floated off the ground with occasional flaps of their wide, shimmering wings. 

Their leader, this Eerfonce Rascon had spoken of, was one of the more humanoid figures, its visage covered in sparkling smears of some unknown material, its chest shimmering and twinkling like water in the sun. It raised an arm and pointed a long, thin finger at Corey, its mouth opening unnaturally wide to release a birdlike screech.

“How rude.” Corey smirked and glanced back at Rascon. “Can they understand me?”

“They will adopt: you do not speak our language, and we do not speak yours, but the power of the Conduit provides for instant translation.” Rascon bowed his armored head. “The meaning will be clear even if they have not tasted true Shard energy in a long time.”

“Ok, good.” The Phasal Lord turned back and spread his arms wide, prepared to address the crowd below. Where previously Corey would have felt anxious about talking in front of so many people, he now felt empowered by the Shard energy coursing through him. “Hear me! I have restored the three Conduits of power! The Shard Empire will rise again, more powerful and determined than before. This is your chance-your only chance-to re-join your people, return to your civilization, and bask forever in the glory of the new Shard Emperor!”

“You claim power which does not belong to you!” Eerfonce answered him after an awkward few minutes of total silence as the Scattered glanced at each other in confusion. Their leader stepped forward again, its mouth changing to better speak the words. “You stand on land which is ours by right of conquest! The Conduits may have been restored, but their energy should be ours, not yours. You are no true Phase Walker, only a pretender!”

“Pretender?” Corey whispered, anger burning through his veins. “Everywhere I go, there always seems to be someone who thinks that I can just be brushed aside, as if I don’t matter. You have already benefited from my actions, already drunk from the river of Shard energy that now flows overhead, and yet you dare to come before me and challenge my right? You should be thanking me!” He snarled, his fury suddenly made manifest in an explosion of red smoke around his body. “You should all be thanking me!” 

“We will _thank_ you by devouring your energy and leaving your bones to bleach in the sun, outsider.” Eerfonce sneered at him and raised its other arm, as if about to order an attack. “This fortress will not protect you.”

“This was a barren desert not ten minutes ago,” Corey spoke quickly, gesturing to his left and right. “This fortress? Built from my mind, without the need to wait for the Conduit to bring Shard energy for its construction. You will regret forsaking this offer, and, besides, do you truly speak for all the Scattered?”

“All here want only to devour you and your energy, Phasal Lord.” Eerfonce laughed in a strange pitch and turned slowly, pointing at the members of its army. “Whether I lead them or not, they have made that decision already.”

“Fools.” Corey growled, his voice and words unlike his own. “I offer you my hand in friendship and you spit on it, so instead, I promise you my fist and I will enjoy watching you suffer!”

“Seize them! Drink upon their ill-gotten energy!” Eerfonce screamed, whirling around to charge towards the fortress. “Break the walls, penetrate the bailey, crush the battlements!”

“Well, that went poorly.” Corey muttered and climbed back inside the safety of the ramparts as the sound of the attacking Scattered echoed below him, their forms crashing against the thick stone walls. He looked at Rascon as he and the other Keepers of the Shards straightened up, each one holding their hands out as though waiting for something. Corey was about to speak when all of a sudden, long weapons materialized and fitted into their waiting grasp. Each was about six feet in length, as thick as Corey’s arm, although broader at the base, and ended in a flared cone that was already humming with some sort of energy. 

“Come, my lord, we cannot stay here.” Rascon gripped the weapon with one hand and pointed the other towards the horizon. “If we can outrun the Scattered, you can safely open a portal to return to the capital.”

“I meant what I said, Rascon, we are not running.” Corey shook his head and waved them back. “I would have thought the Scattered to be more creative in their attack strategy though. Wait while I collapse the outer wall.” He extended a hand and visualized the fortress breaking apart, save for the piece they stood on, and a moment later there was the rumble of fracturing stone and the entire castle began to quake, destabilizing rapidly. “And now to crush them.” Corey made a fist and directed the collapsing masonry outwards and down, letting their own untouched slab of rock slide forwards, effectively surfing down the rolls of exploding mortar and brick.

Dozens of the Scattered were abruptly entombed as Corey stepped off the slab and onto the ground, his knights spreading out to guard his flanks. “Easy!”

“Ahh, you’ll pay for that!” Eerfonce screeched and surged forward with the rest of the Scattered. 

“Keepers! Ready weapons!” Rascon called out, flipping the long pole up to brace on his arm, the cone facing the charging Scattered. “Aim…fire!” Rapid bursts of white light shot out of the cones and exploded on impact with the nearest enemies, turning them to gooey puddles of energy seconds later. “Fire at will!”

“Cool, we have laser blasters!” Corey grinned as the battle was joined and some of the knights switched their weapons to melee mode, battering the Scattered away with long swings of the poles, sonic booms echoing across the battlefield whenever the blunt ends connected with an enemy. 

The Phasal Lord watched for a few minutes as his knights expanded the circle around him, alternating between shooting their enemies with energy blasts and beating them into submission with closer contact. He could feel a different sort of energy humming inside him than before, not the novelty from reconnecting the first Conduit, nor the surging strength from the second Conduit, not even the sensation of boundless creativity that came from the third Conduit. No, this was a power that felt unified and unassailable, and it was boiling inside him, yearning to be set free. _My time has come._

As the next ranks of the Scattered crashed over the embattled knights, Corey lashed out, a wave of elemental energy exploding from his torso like the rings around a planet. The surge of electric green fire ripped through the Scattered and vaporized those closest to him, while leaving the Keepers of the Shards untouched. No, not untouched…the knights suddenly fought with renewed vigor, their armor crackling with an unearthly purple energy that formed halos around their bodies. “Haha!” Corey laughed, enjoying the sensation of power at his fingertips. “Let’s try something else, hah!”

He flung out his hands in the direction of another phalanx of the Scattered, grinning as a series of devastating energy beams fired from his fingers and carved through them, scoring furrows in the earth. The Scattered in his path were obliterated whenever they were caught in the flow, most of them simply turning around and fleeing as Corey changing directions and targeted a fresh group. The destruction was intoxicating, and the sound of the beams’ attacks was incredible: an unearthly screaming that lanced across the space between him and the Scattered, leaving sizzling air in its wake. 

Corey advanced forwards, hoping to find Eerfonce and end the battle early. But more Scattered were appearing all around them, thousands more, and their leader had retreated into their ranks. The Phasal Lord glared and continued his attacks, ruthlessly and effortlessly annihilating all those who came close. Some of the Scattered were merely wounded, briefly flaring into full Phase Walkers as the weaponized Shard energy restored them, before they exploded fantastically in brilliant prisms of rainbow light or else collapsed onto the ground, the Shard energy pooling around them like effervescent bloodstains.

As the knights walked forward, capitalizing on their opportunity to push the enemy back, Corey took a moment to stand still. He concentrated, closing his eyes and blocking out the strange, metallic taste in the air from the burning Scattered lying around him. _I need you to find me, Phasal Regents, Tochra, hear me! Of all the times, please be listening in!_

After a few seconds of his own thoughts, Corey became aware of a distant voice, something that wasn’t his own inner monologue, but floated through his mind instead. _Yes, my lord? Do you require assistance?_

 _Yes! Come to me and bring everyone who can fight!_ Corey opened his eyes when he heard an echoing reply from Tochra, confirming their imminent arrival. “Good. I bet Rascon could use a break. Not that they seem to be tiring or losing.” He began walking forward again, following his knights as they remained in a semi-circle ahead of him, their flanks becoming pressured. 

The Phasal Lord stopped in front of one of the crippled Scattered, taking in its strange, almost plastic, body which was shaped like a large egg. One side of it had been damaged by his beam attack and its essence was leaking out. The Shard energy had both injured and restored the Scattered and as Corey extended his hand, he felt it twitch and jump, the energy abruptly leeching out of the Scattered and returned to Corey. “Woah.” He straightened up and watched as the Shard energy wound around his gauntlet in a silver glow before sinking into his new armor. All that was left of the Scattered was a rusty husk that broke apart when Corey kicked at it cautiously.

“Hmm, that felt good. And it is _our_ energy after all, it belongs to the Phase Walkers, not these…rebels.” Corey whispered to himself as he studied his fingers, feeling a dizzying surge of power circulate through him. “Another.” The Phasal Lord walked over to another Scattered and repeated the action, smirking when he absorbed the Shard energy from the wounded entity. “Easy! Haha!” Corey took the one next to the floating pile of rusty ashes, and then another one, and another until he lost count, drunk on the power he was able to absorb. 

The Phasal Lord turned towards the group of Scattered that had managed to outflank his knights, but instead of unleashing his beam attacks, Corey just flung out his hands and grinned manically when the Scattered stopped dead. Their stolen Shard energy was ripped from their forms with a horrible wrenching sound and the silver river flowed through the air before being absorbed by Corey. “Hahaha! Time to give back what you have taken!”

There was a distinct swishing sound behind him, and Corey turned around to see portals had formed, the air becoming shimmering pools of energy that hung off the ground. There were easily a dozen of them, some regular size, tall enough for a Phase Walker to walk out of, while others were several feet higher, accommodating the squads of Phasal Brutes that marched out. Hundreds of Phase Walkers strode out of the portals, each equipped with versions of the knights’ pole blasters, some with shorter, bulkier weapons, others with entire machines carried in humming energy fields, and yet more others with long javelins sharp enough that they left eddies in their wake. 

At the head of each battalion, one of the Phasal Lords rode atop a Phasal Brute, both of them clad in magnificent armor that shone brighter than the sun, gemstones and precious jewels gleaming across their forms and weapons. The Phasal Regents appeared nearest him, all mounted on Phasal Brutes of the horned variety, snorting and stamping and eager to launch into the fray. Tochra rode over to him and bowed graciously from the saddle. “We have heard your call to arms, my lord, the armies of the Shard Empire march once more. Tens of thousands await behind the portals, the Scattered shall be crushed here and now!”

“Good, go and relieve my knights, they’ll be overwhelmed soon.” Corey pointed at the front, several hundred feet away from them. “And secure the flanks!”

“As you command, so shall it be done!” Tochra bowed again and pulled out a long, thin blade that looked like a winter icicle. “Legions! Advance!”

Corey stood to one side as the ground began to quake under the footsteps of his soldiers and the mighty Brutes that broke into a breakneck charge towards the Scattered. Pride swelled in his chest as Corey recalled the broken shades that had once inhabited the Phased Worlds, now restored to grace and glory by his actions. He glanced to his left when another of the Regents, Moraic, stopped next to him. “What is it?”

“The previous Emperor rode atop a Titan, a creature of wings and scales and flame, you should not be on your feet while the rest of us ride.” It gestured at the ground. “But all the Phasal Titans collapsed when we lost the Conduits. Your familiar could serve in a similar capacity if you wanted it to.”

“My…oh! Mr. Floppy Ears!” Corey flushed, embarrassed as much as for forgetting he had the special rabbit, as for the name which seemed especially childish in his current surroundings. “Uh, where…oh, there you are!” The rabbit had materialized in front of him as Moraic watched in silence. Corey picked up the creature and looked at his face. “Hmm, strange, I already know what I’m meant to do. The question is, are you ok with becoming something else?” The rabbit twitched his nose at Corey and then nodded. “Uh…”

“They are very smart creatures, the familiars, my lord.” Moraic said as more soldiers marched past them towards the expanding battle. “And you can always reformulate him if you do not like the results.”

“I suppose you’re right.” Corey nodded and put the familiar down, stepping back from him as Moraic gestured for everyone else to stay clear. He was aware that he had an audience: the Phasal Regents who had not advanced with Tochra, the Phase Walkers just arriving, and the Phasal Brutes who had stayed behind with the Regents, all watching his every move. _Ok, no pressure…_

The Phasal Lord raised his hands and felt the Shard energy he had so recently consumed surge up around him, becoming physical as a glowing embrace that wrapped around his torso and flowed down his arms. It was heating up and giving off a noise that sounded like a jet fighter about to launch down a runway. His entire body began to vibrate, and Corey concentrated on maintaining control of the energy flow as it pooled in the air in front of him, slowly rotating and forming into a brightly glowing sphere. He made a sudden movement and the ball of energy leapt from his hands and collided with Mr. Floppy Ears.

The rabbit also began to glow until the light was utterly blinding. Corey shielded his eyes with an arm and frowned when he heard an organic grumbling and then the ground began to shake violently until it stopped as abruptly as it started. The glare faded to reveal two enormous armored paws planted in front of him, the greaves reaching halfway up the legs before they were replaced with smooth fur. His neck craned backwards to look up at the gigantic face of the rabbit some sixty feet above him, its nose twitching. The rabbit’s massive ears were crowned in silver armor that swept down his back towards the bob tail. “Woah.”

“A Phasal Titan, most impressive, your majesty!” Moraic declared as the other Regents broke into applause and the soldiers behind them roared their approval.

“Go, show them our power.” Corey ordered when Mr. Floppy Ears looked down at him questioningly. “And after this, remind me to give you a better name: something like, uh, ‘Anvil, Paws of Dread!’ Ooh, yes, I like that.”

“Legions!” Moraic called out, using a long staff to gesture at the squads nearby. “Advance with Anvil and crush the Scattered! Leave no survivors! This will be a glorious day for the Empire!”

“I’m not finished yet.” Corey muttered and waited for Anvil to bound across the battlefield, leaping into a pack of Scattered with the same impact of a collapsing skyscraper. “You said the previous Emperor had a…dragon, right?”

“Oh yes, your majesty,” Moraic replied quickly as the other Regents clustered eagerly around them. “But you need a base creature to form a Titan, usually a Brute. We did not expect you to succeed with your familiar and-”

“Hah, no one ever expects me to succeed.” Corey laughed bitterly and concentrated again, this time focusing on the idea of a dragon: its scaly hide impervious to any attack, the clever mind hidden behind an armored skeleton, a wingspan that would dwarf any other creature, the ability to build up and release a flame so potent that not even True Alpha healing could endure it. _And turn Scott McCall’s lying ass into a charcoal crisp!_ “Yarragh!” The Phasal Lord shouted out, opening his eyes and emptying his body of all the stored Shard energy in an expansive gesture.

There was yet another blinding flash of light, this time accompanied by a primordial roar that echoed across the battlefield. Corey looked on, a satisfied curl to his lips as the dragon solidified and took shape in front of them. The new Phasal Titan was much bigger than Anvil, occupying the entirety of free space between them and the ever retreating ranks of the Scattered. _That must be the size of the lacrosse field back home!_ The dragon released another deep roar that drove the clouds from the sky and eclipsed the sun for miles around when it stretched its wings wide apart. “Now _this_ is a Titan!” He looked around to see the Phasal Regents had all dismounted and were kneeling before him. “Uh, get up, we still have a battle to win!” 

Corey watched as the last remnants of the Scattered’s army were chased down by his new Titan, the dragon somehow able to propel itself through the air with only a few beats of its immense wings. He could feel the pulsing of nearby Shard energy as it drained into the parched ground of the once pristine oasis. Corey walked forwards, heading to where his knights had captured Eerfonce, his hands dragging through the air as he absorbed the Shard energy from the dead and dying, replenishing his own power. “And so, the inevitable has come to pass, you are at my mercy now, Eerfonce.”

“Not all the Scattered perished here, Phasal Lord,” Eerfonce spat at him, its form a ruined echo of what it had been at the start of the battle, Shard energy bleeding from a dozen wounds. “There are more, countless more, on planets all across the fringes of your empire. And they will see you ripped from your ill-gotten throne!”

“Maybe they will, but you won’t.” The Phasal Lord hissed, feeling another force speak through him, his expression turning into a sneer. “You and your vaulted individuality will be returned to the Conduit and become one with all the Walkers!”

“Garah!” Eerfonce recoiled from him and tried to escape as Corey reached out with his hand. “Do not return me to the collective!”

“You do not have a choice any longer!” Corey snarled and ripped the energy from Eerfonce, absorbing and mixing it with the power he had already consumed. He watched passively as the Scattered’s form went still and fell apart, reduced to rust colored ashes. Corey straightened up and looked around with a sigh. “They have ruined my oasis, how sad, let them restore it.” He snapped his fingers and released the gathered energy, watching as the churned up earth and burnt trees were instantly repaired and replaced, his army and creatures standing in the middle of a pristine landscape once again. “Come along, let us return home.”

It was the day after the battle and Corey stood on the balcony outside his bedroom-the chamber newly constructed by Arcanic after he had explained about wanting a bed to sleep in. The city of Cordanick sprawled outwards in every direction, beyond the towering walls he could see towns and villages that stretched along the roads and rivers. From this direction, if Corey concentrated enough, he could just glimpse the towering structure of the Temple of Fate. The pathway that led to it was mostly restored, although work was underway already on new statues and monuments to celebrate their victory over the Scattered. 

Anvil, the war rabbit, was a furry hillock just outside the city, fast asleep even as an endless retinue of Phase Walkers brought him tribute in the form of glowing berries and giant leaves of some green vegetation that could have been lettuce. The other Phasal Titan had sat down next to the Temple of Fate, the dragon able to speak and telling him that they should converse after the coronation. Corey had been surprised at first, but the other Regents had simply taken it in their stride.

They had changed too, no longer was he addressed as an equal; they bowed and knelt in his presence, all too eager to help him however they could. But it was somewhat unnerving, not merely the pampering, but the way most of the Phase Walkers he met had changed their forms to mirror his own; their faces growing ever more humanoid, their bodies echoing his shape, their expressions both more natural and still uncanny. It was as though he was looking into a mirror and was receiving answers from his identical twin, increasingly disconcerting as the Phasal Regents had finally decided on pigmentation for their bodies and visages, instead of just glowing silver and gold. Likewise, they had started referring to themselves in specific genders, though some still retained a neutrality, as though trying to determine the appropriate balance that Corey would want in their society. 

Corey turned around when he heard a knock on the door to see that Arcanic had entered. “Ah, is it time?”

“Yes, your majesty.” The Phase Walker bowed and gestured towards the exit. “The Regents and Lords have gathered from all across the nineteen galaxies.”

“That many, huh?”

“Not in ten thousand years has there been an Imperial Coronation, it will be an event discussed for centuries hence!” Arcanic walked across to the wardrobe and pulled it open, the space barren save for a long trailing cloak of silver with a red emblem laid in the center. “This is the sigil of the last Emperor, it will change as soon as you are crowned. By tradition it is worn by the descendent-in this case, you-and with it comes this scepter.”

“Uh huh.” Corey nodded and let Arcanic tie the surprisingly light cloak around his shoulders. The scepter was shaped like a teardrop, with a jewel embedded in the tip that hummed with Shard Energy. “I’m not…I don’t know your traditions, Arcanic.”

“We know, your majesty.” The Phase Walker turned to smile at him. “We have studied how your people…choose their leader and crown him. It will be similar.”

“Oh, goody.” Corey muttered, desperately trying to recall his Civics class. _Uh, inauguration, Washington Mall, um, the Capital Building and…damn, it! I’m drawing a blank!_

“This way, your majesty.”

“Of course.” He sighed and followed Arcanic through the myriad halls of the palace towards the grand, lavishly decorated throne room he had seen a few days before. Once he had reached the imposing metal doors outside the chamber, Arcanic melted away and Corey was left alone until his familiar guard of knights arrived to escort him to the throne itself. “Hello, Rascon.”

“Honored greetings to you, your majesty.” The knight bowed low and then straightened up, pulling off his helm to reveal a handsome face and short hair. It was only when Corey looked a little longer did he see it was simply a slightly older version of himself, as if he had a brother.

“Ok, this is getting disturbing…”

“Sire?”

“Uh, nothing, we’ll talk about it later.” Corey muttered and nodded for the doors to be opened. He began walking as the Keepers of the Shards advanced through the entranceway and into the throne room proper. A swell of sound washed over him, a chorus of unearthly voices singing in a language that was almost familiar, the music equally inspiring and resplendent. The long hall was packed to capacity, every face his own or some version of it, staring at him as he walked along the richly carpeted aisle. _Yeah, I’m going to have to talk to them about this, it’s like I’m in a room full of clones! They all look like me, they talk like me, endlessly reflecting me at myself, I’ll go mad if it stays like this! Some individuality is good!_

Corey reached the raised dais and looked up at the throne itself, the large seat was made from a single piece of white stone, ripples of silver and gold running in veins across its surface. The pleasant thrum of Shard energy surrounded it and Corey could see the throne already adjusting its form to suit his expectations. The Phasal Regents led by Tochra were standing just in front of the seat, one step above him, the crown in their hands. It was still faintly transparent, a circlet of gold with silver leaves around the top, each one decorated with a single, large jewel.

“It is time,” Tochra said, his voice deep and carrying to the far reaches of the hall. “You have completed your quests: restored the three Conduits and given power back to those who had fallen! You have confronted the rebels and their _repugnant_ campaign for individuality! You have gained the respect of all Phase Walkers as both a warrior and a creator, for not once in a hundred million years of the endless Shard Empire has anyone, Walker, Lord, Regent, or even Emperor, ever constructed a Titan from pure Shard energy! We kneel to you, Lord Corey, and humbly request that you take up the crown! Become our Emperor!”

“I will.” Corey replied quickly when Tochra paused expectantly. He inclined his head and Tochra rested the crown on his hair. Corey felt the crown instantly solidify, becoming a strange weight where previously none had been. 

“Then by the power vested in me by the Council of Regents, we declare you the Master of the Phases, the eternal Shard Emperor! May your rule be long, prosperous, and glorious!” Tochra and the other Regents stood aside and knelt down as Corey stepped past them and sat on the throne. “May our energy endure!”

“May our energy endure!” The words were echoed by the crowd before cheering and celebrating broke out.

“So this is it.” Corey whispered to himself, letting the weights of the rewards settle on his shoulders. He frowned and looked up at the ceiling, the new expanses of his power stripping away the need for proximity or liquid to spy on those in the Inflexible World. “Hmm.”

He could see Mason now, walking around his home, aware that several days had passed in the time he had spent on that nameless planet fighting the Scattered and restoring the Conduit. Behind Mason was Liam, his constant shadow, always there whenever Corey looked in on his boyfriend. Part of him wanted to return each time, and yet it was so _easy_ to exist in the Darkened World. _He_ was the power here, everything reacted to him, even the landscape could be molded to his whim with the briefest of touches. 

The Shard Emperor lowered his head and glanced at Tochra, “We have matters to discuss: things that need to be fixed immediately, and other things…they will not bear fruit for many years, but I have ideas that will be of great benefit to the Phase Walkers, to, hah, my subjects.”

“We exist to serve you, Emperor.” Tochra bowed eloquently. “I will convene the Council of Regents, for the Scattered are not the only threat to re-emerge now that the Conduits have been restored.”

“Very well.” Corey leaned back in the throne and steepled his fingers. _This is where I am meant to be, I can feel it. What greatness awaits us?!_


	6. The Shard Empire Returns

“Hmm?” Corey murmured as he looked up from the floor, his gaze penetrating the Phases to look down on the gathered denizens of the Hallowed World. “What did you say?”

“I was wondering if you wanted to order dessert?” Mason repeated, the hint of displeasure in his voice. “But if you’re too busy on your phone-”

“I’m not on my phone.” Corey shook his head and tapped his pocket. He cleared his throat as Mason tutted softly. “I thought you’d be running off anyway, don’t you have the prom committee to supervise?”

“Yeah, but I’m supposed to be having dinner with the head of the food committee, remember?” Mason nodded at him pointedly. “How’s that coming along anyway?”

“It’s handled, don’t worry.” Corey shrugged and leaned back in his chair as he took a sip of his soda. “I emailed you an itemized list with prices just like you asked for.”

“Ah, I must have…missed that.” Mason muttered, abruptly defensive as he grabbed his phone and scrolled through his email account. “Um, I don’t see it.”

“Well, I sent it.” 

“Um, ah…oh, there it is: went into the trash for some reason.” He scanned the email, glancing up at Corey a few times before nodding once. “Ok, it looks correct.”

“‘Correct,’ haha.” Corey chuckled softly as Mason pursed his lips. “Pretty sure my own way would have been fine, you didn’t need to throw a fit to make us all use _your_ template.”

“I want everyone to be on the same page with the same information, and now we are.” He hesitated a moment before adding, “But I wasn’t trying to undermine you or diminish your contribution.”

“Ah, of course.” Corey whispered, a flicker of annoyance passing across his face before he contained it. “So, are we having dessert?”

“Uh, yeah.” Mason gestured for the waiter to come back over to them and accepted the offered menus. As they browsed the contents, Mason looked over the top at him. “Honestly, I’m surprised that you’re the one who’s not rushing off, we haven’t spent much time together lately.”

“Yeah, sorry about that.” Corey replied passively. “I’ve been…busy, trying to improve my GPA this semester.”

“Oh, yeah, you’ve really managed to turn that around, huh?” Mason nodded enthusiastically. “It’s, what, a three point five now? That’s pretty impressive that you got it so high since Fall, but I guess it’s all those extra classes and credit.”

“Mmh hmm.”

“And you’ve definitely gotten smarter.” Mason carried on, a slightly nervous tone slipping into his voice, his words coming out in a rush. “You don’t often see that happening, like you might get hotter as you get older, but not really more intellectual…and you’re, well, you’re good looking but, uh, and you don’t…um.”

“No, no, please keep going.” Corey lowered the menu with a smirk as Mason swallowed uneasily. “But tell me, would you like a shovel?”

“Shovel?”

“To dig your own grave.” Corey smiled as Mason took an awkward gulp of water and shook his head. “I know you nervous-ramble when you have something you don’t want to discuss, so what is it?”

“Uh, nothing.” Mason stared at the menu and pressed his lips together, apparently suppressing the urge to keep talking.

“Well, looks like we’ll be able to go to college together, if that’s still your plan?”

“Hell yeah!” Mason grinned excitedly. “You, me, and Liam taking LA by storm!”

“Yup.” Corey nodded, his expression smooth even as his thoughts returned to linger in the Darkened World. While he _had_ been attempting to bring his GPA up to standard, it wasn’t the only thing that had been occupying his time of late. Some the Phase Walkers who were better able to adapt and react to his instructions had been completing his assignments for him with favorable results. While they could not emerge into the Inflexible World to take his physical place in the classroom, Corey welcomed the refuge from having to learn things that would not benefit him. Not anymore.

It had been a few months since he had been crowned Shard Emperor and yet it felt like years had sped past whenever he returned to the Darkened and Hallowed Worlds every afternoon when school finished. Cities had been reformulated, legions of Phase Walkers returned to populate the twin Phases, new laboratories and centers of innovation had sprung up all across the empire, aiding in the creation of ever more powerful and exotic Phasal Brutes. Their territory was expanding back into the regions of the galaxy that they had once occupied at the height of the Shard Empire, fueled by the unity of the Conduits and their limitless Shard energy, Corey himself acting as a nexus point for the power.

Perhaps they were expanding a little _too_ fast: whispers had reached Corey of some other entity rising up from their ashes. It was far in the galactic east, rumors of an immense, star-devouring creature that was benefiting from the resurgence of the Conduits. Whatever it was, his advisers did not consider it a threat-yet-besides, there were still pockets of The Scattered to defeat and absorb…

“Corey?”

“Hmm? Sorry, must have wandered off.” He cleared his throat and glanced at Mason and then their server. “Uh, the chocolate brownie looks good.”

“Do you want ice cream or cream with that?”

“Ice cream.” Corey replied, rubbing his temple as Mason ordered the same thing. It was easy to get distracted in the Inflexible World, so little of his true power was available. “Thank you.”

“So…” Mason said as he finished eating his ice cream. “Um, there was something I wanted to ask you.”

“Figured.” Corey shrugged when Mason looked up at him with a frown. “No, it’s just it’s Liam’s birthday on Friday, I’m aware of it.”

“Oh, right, good memory.”

“Sure, but he’s also been talking about it non-stop for the past three weeks: in the locker room, gym class, homeroom.” Corey used his fingers to illustrate his point as Mason smirked. “So, yeah, I’m aware of the big party he’s throwing, especially since his parents are going out of town that evening.”

“It’s going to be wild!” He grinned and licked the back of his spoon.

“Mmh hmm.” Corey grunted non-committedly. “Sounds like it.”

“I know he hasn’t invited you, err, formally.” Mason hesitated, clearly uncomfortable when Corey just looked at him, his expression neutral. “But you can come, he, uh, wants you to come.”

 _Liar._ Corey felt the word lash against his thoughts, recognizing the familiar pressure that came whenever the Council of Regents were intruding into his mind. It wasn’t malicious however, and he leaned back as a thrum of Shard energy pulsed through his veins along with their message. _Problems in Cordanick, hmm? Very well, I’ll be there as soon as I am finished here._ The Phasal Lord swallowed and looked back at Mason when he noticed his boyfriend frowning at him. “Sorry, just a…”

“Disturbance in the Force?” Mason smirked at him as Corey shrugged. “Haha, ok, keep your phase-y secrets! Are you going to come to Liam’s party or not?”

“Hmm, I don’t know, I don’t think he really wants me there, Mason.” Corey sat up and finished the rest of his brownie. “Will Scott be there too?”

“Dunno, probably not, he and Liam aren’t talking after the whole…drugs thing.” Mason shook his head as though he still couldn’t believe it. “I don’t think Scott will want to jeopardize his probation because there’ll definitely be some underage drinking, maybe more, Liam has basically asked everyone to his birthday bash; from party animals to potheads!” 

“Except me.”

“Well, I-”

“Relax, we both know why that is. Even if you’ve ignored it for the past six months…” Corey added with a dark mutter as Mason squirmed uncomfortably opposite him. “So, let’s talk about that elephant in the room.”

“You know, we should get the bill-”

“Theo saved your life, I know you know that: you _remember_ it. You told me that yourself.” Corey continued speaking and Mason fell silent, not meeting his intense gaze. “And when I said that we should go to Liam and tell him what really happened, you refused, didn’t want to make things…difficult. I believe those were your exact words. So, instead of making things _difficult_ for Liam, you made them that way for us.”

“I didn’t intend…Liam was so sure and so caught up in what he thought Theo had done.” Mason replied, reaching his hands across the table as though to touch Corey’s own before he gave up halfway across. “Yeah, it was easier for me too.”

“I know you flinch every time you see Scott, how is that easier? Theo is gone, and he could have come back if Scott were held responsible, if we had told Liam together: he would have believed us then.” Corey sighed and looked away from him, catching the eye of their server. “Bill please.”

Mason was silent until the bill was placed on the table along with some complimentary mints. “I have this.”

“We split it, like always.” Corey replied swiftly, reaching into his wallet as Mason frowned. “Problem?”

“You don’t have either of your two jobs from last year and I know you’re not living at home, but you always have a wallet full of cash.” He nodded at the crisp bills Corey pulled out. “Do you have secret printing press somewhere?!”

“Somewhere,” Corey replied with the hint of a smile as Mason stared at him. _Shard energy can be turned into anything after all, and it’s not like I’m spending enough to break the economy._ “But don’t change the subject. Look, if Liam is willing to take the step of actually inviting me to his party himself-he can text, he doesn’t even have to call-I’ll go. And if he can be civil, I’ll consider burying the hatchet.” _And not in his back._

“Oh, ok.” Mason nodded, relieved. “I’ll be seeing him tomorrow morning when I pick him up for school, so we’ll talk then.”

“I hope he isn’t expecting a present.”

“Uh, no, Liam seems to have a very clear idea what he wants for his eighteenth birthday.” Mason replied with a shake of his head. “I’ll, uh, tell you about it on Friday.”

“Very well.” Corey stood up, wincing as he felt the same twinge of pain race across his forehead as before. “I have to go, see you at school tomorrow.” They hugged briefly before Corey turned away and walked out of the restaurant. He glanced around, checking for cameras and witnesses before transitioning to another Phase effortlessly.

The Darkened World was substantially less dark than before. The sky was more akin to twilight just before dusk on a summer’s night rather than the ashen greyness that had previously dominated the Phase. Corey looked up at the emerging stars and the deep purple velvet of the sky as the clouds rushed away to the horizons, the weather adapting to his preferences. He was standing outside the Imperial Palace on a stone circle that jutted out from the elevated grounds, offering him an unparalleled view of the surrounding city and hinterland.

Cordanick looked much as it had since its reconstruction, only a few new districts built to accommodate the increased population, and the road that lead to the Temple of Fate had been repaired, its numerous statues and monuments added to. The Shard Emperor glanced to his left, a smile touching his lips as he watched Anvil the War Rabbit bounce away from the city and into the desert where a city to honor his glory had been constructed the month before. Corey nodded to himself as a sense of peace settled over him, washing away the stress of his human life and the tense dinner with Mason.

He released a deep breath, watching as red mist curled into existence in front of him, his anger dissipating into the world. “Mason still cares more about Liam’s feelings than he does about mine. Or Theo’s for that matter. It isn’t right.” 

Rascon remained silent behind him, waiting until Corey turned around before he gestured towards the palace. “The Council are waiting for you, my lord.”

“I know.” Corey nodded and began walking back towards the main complex. “There is much to be done, much to be seen, and yet my blood still boils when I think of Scott and Liam. The lies they told and got away with: there should have been consequences!”

“As I have said to you many times these last few years-”

“Months.” Corey corrected him automatically.

“Err, yes, months…if you dragged those criminals to the Phased Worlds, we would punish them appropriately.” The knight glanced at him, the glowing orbs of his ethereal features burning with a distinctive blue fire. “Alas, we still have been unable to breach the Inflexible World, only you can act there.”

“Hmm, for now. But bringing them here, it seems too drastic.” Corey sighed as they approached the cloisters that led into one of the courtyards. “It does give me some comfort to know that if either of them tried to attack me as they did before, haha, they would be in for quite the surprise!” He paused next to a new sculpture that was taking shape, Shard energy sinking into the pale marble with echoing pings. There was a group of five Phase Walkers sitting around the statue, each concentrating with an arm outstretched, their collective thoughts and attention creating the figure. “Impressive, I look forward to seeing what new forms you create!”

“Thank you, Emperor.” One of the Phase Walkers bowed towards him before returning to their task. 

“Hmm, remind me, Rascon, which of the Idols do they belong to?” Corey asked softly as they continued through the courtyard towards the entryway on the opposite side of the plaza. 

“The Traditionalist Idol, my lord, you can expect a work of conservative dimensions and vague detail.”

“Ah, of course, their blue robes should have given that away.” Corey mused to himself.

While the Phase Walkers reviled individuality as a blight upon their civilization, he had been able to steer them in favor of conforming to one of nine distinct identities called Idols. Each was based on a specific facet of their culture or imported from values they perceived to be important to Corey. Membership of an Idol affected everything from the Walker’s physical appearance and clothing to their perspective on the purpose of the Empire to the roles they selected to play in the society. Corey had found it confusing and restrictive at first, but as their ruler he was simultaneously outside of the system and yet also an aspect of each Idol. 

The Traditionalist Idol was a group of Phase Walkers who maintained the connection between the previous empire and the current one, clad in flowing blue robes as bright as the sky of midsummer, with hoods that obscured their faces, leaving the features cast in shadows. Arcanic said that they were the second Idol to emerge, after the Loyalist, a group that converted to whatever form and function Corey needed them to. Being so malleable resulted in the Loyalist faction retaining their whisp-like forms and Corey always thought they looked so much freer whenever a group of them flew overhead, twisting and cartwheeling across the sky.

Rascon and the rest of the Keepers of the Shards had reverted to their armored appearance from when Corey had first met them, embodying the Idol of the Guardian. They looked much like the statues of armor that Corey remembered from Medieval castles he had seen on TV or in video games, although the eyeholes of their helmets were larger and occupied with an unearthly glow. Sometimes he would catch glimpses of the light seeping out into the world around them through chinks in their armor. 

Corey nodded again when they crossed the threshold into the palace itself, continuing his earlier thoughts. “Scott has made trouble for himself, something that he cannot escape simply because he is a werewolf. Oh, I doubt he will actually be punished for it: his father is in the FBI after all. And he simply provided the drugs to the group, material support, I believe it is called. But he won’t face any real consequences.”

“Power corrupts.” Rascon replied with a hiss of releasing air. “Well, at least in the Inflexible World, after all, they have no way to disperse their emotions.”

“Indeed,” Corey smirked, a cloud of pink mist blossoming into existence briefly to indicate his amusement. “And Liam, for all his bluster, I think he is, or has, come around to the idea that what he saw that night during the battle was not what really happened.”

“You truly think so, my lord?”

“Hah, no, but it’s what Mason wants me to think.” Corey replied after a moment of silence as they walked across mosaic floors towards the grand throne room. “Liam is proud, arrogant, unable to admit that he was wrong. He is young, a supernatural, sure, used to strength.” The Shard Emperor gestured at the imposing basalt doors that barred their way, watching impassively as they swung open, silent on their heavy steel hinges. “It gives me small comfort to know I could drag him and Scott both down to my realm and leave them in the Whispering Void to slowly lose all sense of time and purpose and sanity…”

“But you have thought about, yes?”

“Hmph.” Corey smirked again, this time a cruel expression that spawned a twist of green smoke above his head. “They are nothing in the grand scheme of things: an ant awaiting the descending boot to crush their irritation!”

“My lord.” Arcanic bowed before them as they arrived at the foot of the stairs that led to the elevated throne. “It is good to see you.”

“Likewise.” Corey nodded, casting his eyes across the Phase Walker’s face. Arcanic was part of the Imitator Idol: those who valued beauty-as defined by Corey-over all other considerations. While the other Idols all conformed to a similar physical appearance and structure within their group, those from the Imitator Idol were each different, unique even, although Corey had noticed that they shared a very small pool of potential faces and body types, resulting in many similar Phase Walkers. 

It had been a significant challenge to get them to stop looking like replicas of himself: his face, his body, changed with wildly varying skin tones from midnight black to bizarre red and green stripes. Their aversion to individuality had made the task all the more difficult, fearful as the Council of Regents were about creating another faction of The Scattered. But in the end, Corey had succeeded in getting some of the Phase Walkers to adopt different faces and bodies once he showed them what he meant by using the creative power of the World In-Between. Much like a character creator in an RPG, the members of the Imitator Idol experimented and changed their appearance to match the guidance Corey had given them.

Arcanic still had a rather androgynous facial structure and body to match, as though they had not yet decided on a specific gender. Corey had learned that it was better to wait for his courtiers to announce their preferences rather than assume as it only caused confusion, especially when the Phase Walkers natively had no need for such distinctions. _We are just energy after all._ Corey thought to himself as he gestured at Arcanic. “So, where are they?”

“They wish to meet you in the Reliquary of the Shards at the Temple of Fate.”

“Grr, I would have just arrived there then.” Corey grumbled. “Fine, bring me to the portal room.”

The Reliquary of the Shards was a chamber at the very heart of the temple, connected to the main room by a long, crystalline tunnel that led back away from the entrance. Unlike the dark stone that the rest of the temple was constructed of, here the walls were bright and gleaming, reminding Corey of precious gems, as though the entire room was studded in diamonds and emeralds. The light came from somewhere above them, feeding into an offshoot of the Conduit that channeled a thick beam of Shard energy through the center of the chamber. Free floating splinters of some unknown silver metal hung around the Conduit, gently bobbing up and down, giving the room its name.

Every time he entered the Reliquary Corey felt a wave of comforting warmth flow over him, simultaneously calming and invigorating. One of the walls was utterly smooth and transparent, looking out over a grand plaza that spanned almost a mile between wings of the temple. The space was not used as an amenity or for pleasure, but rather to showcase new innovations and creatures made by the scientists that worked in the vast warrens of laboratories that ran underneath the temple’s surface. Corey stood at the window as he waited for the rest of the Council to arrive, looking out at the towering platforms that had been built in the middle of the plaza.

Bright white bones were being joined together by Phase Walkers supervised by Phasal Lords, the beginnings of the skeletal structure of a new Phasal Titan, inspired by the dinosaurs of Earth. Corey felt a smile pull at his lips as he watched a company of several hundred Phasal Brutes trot past, the creatures varying between the spiked and armored monsters he was familiar with and then more exotic alien beasts with unusual combinations of wings and claws. Some breathed fire with every exhale, like exaggerated exhaust fumes, others marched past with elemental armors that covered the scaly skin, while yet more had a shimmering aura, hinting at supernatural capabilities beyond their fearsome appearances.

Corey turned around, nodding as each member of the Council entered, acknowledging their bows and other forms of greetings. Not all of the Idols were represented among the Regents, but there were still enough for Corey to notice the evolution of the unique groups. Many of the Regents were part of the Unifier Idol, a strange construct that retained much of Corey’s physical features and applied them to those of the group, but also transformed his appearance to that of an original Phase Walker: ghostly, ethereal, almost transparent. It had been very strange the first time he had seen them, as though looking at a reflection of himself in every face. The Unifier Idol was meant to bridge the gap between Corey’s humanity and his Phase Walker nature, with Tochra confiding in him that the longer Corey spent in the Darkened World, the more he would become a “true” Phase Walker. 

There were certain advantages to such a transformation though; he already felt stronger and more in control when he was here as distinct from the Inflexible World, everything altered itself to suit him, just as it did when he was in the experimental Phase of the World In-Between. Tochra had assured him that his humanity need not be surrendered completely, that as Shard Emperor he could appear however he wanted, that even in the world that did not change he could look and feel human. But deeper…in the Hallowed and Darkened Worlds, he could become anything, assume any form, swim the deep oceans as a powerful whale, soar through the heavens as a flame breathing dragon like Vortex the Phasal Titan, or even dance among the stars as pure energy, unlimited, immortal, unending. 

“So, everything is proceeding as planned?” Corey asked as the meeting began to wrap up, the concerns of state making the hours pass in a slow crawl. He looked over at Moraic and nodded. “Yes?”

“Yes, Emperor, we are preparing our strike forces now, it will take a few days before we have enough reformulated Phase Walkers.” The Regent indicated the multidimensional map that hovered over the table, purple and blue stars highlighted among the constellations. “Vortex and Anvil can command two of the groups, the ones attacking the largest concentrations of The Scattered. Other Lords will coordinate to run down the stragglers.”

“Good.” He nodded again and sat up from his slouch. “Be sure and reabsorb them into our collective, no reason to let Shard energy go to waste.”

“What of those who may surrender?”

“There can be no division.” Corey replied after a moment of examining his fingers. “Absorb them all: those who resist, those who do not, their…chaotic individuality could destroy everything we have worked for.”

“Very well, I will distribute the orders.” Moraic stood up and bowed gracefully, its many arms sweeping low and then back up in a familiar, if complex, fan of limbs. “Emperor.”

“Thank you, thank you all for coming. I look forward to touring the Hallowed World with you next week, Regent Brix.” Corey waited for the Council to stand and bow before he looked at Tochra and gestured for him to stay. “There was something I wanted to run by you.”

“Of course, shall we take the air?” The Phasal Regent pointed out of the window and Corey nodded. There was a brief sensation of tightness around his body before it drained away and they were standing in the plaza outside of the temple, Rascon and Arcanic appearing moments later. “Excellent, you are becoming quite adept at teleportation, my lord.”

“Over short distances and when I can see the place I need to go.” Corey smiled and began to walk in the direction of the Phasal Titan being constructed, its skeleton completed during the course of the meeting. “I’ve been thinking a lot about the project you mentioned the last time we met, after I brought up the idea of having Mason come down here.”

“Ah, the Consort Project, yes.” Tochra smiled at him, in an eerie reflection of Corey’s own expression mere seconds before. “Your…human companion is still welcome here, even if some of the Regents do not approve.”

“I know, but I have thought about it more, and I don’t think he needs to know everything.” Corey shrugged and gestured vaguely at the space around them. “It’s not that he wouldn’t understand, he definitely would, and that’s the problem. Mason has this…heh, it’s almost a condition, of needing to appear as though he knows everything about any given situation. And I know he would try and do that here and it would just…irritate me.”

“Knowledge must be earned,” Tochra replied, a frown quirking his ethereal brows. “And the showing of such disrespect would be problematic.”

“Indeed. There is another reason though, more pressing.” Corey sighed, his breath turning into tassels of spun gold as emotion bled into the air. “We’re drifting apart, and I think he’s ok with that. It’s not like there was any one trigger, although maybe Theo getting blamed for hurting him is an issue. Mason knows Scott is the one to blame, yet he hasn’t confronted him or Liam over what happened.”

“So, Mason may no longer be your human companion?”

“Maybe, I don’t know. We’re going to a party on Friday night; Liam’s big eighteenth birthday. It’s a milestone in the Inflexible World.” Corey said, his eyes drawn to the way the scientists were drawing power from the ambient Shard energy around them and applying it to the dinosaur’s bones, creating the thick plates of armor and wicked looking claws. “Part of me thinks we’re just stable, no drama, no spark. He hasn’t mentioned anyone else and I’ve obviously been too busy with our projects here.”

“We can discuss the Consort Project in more detail later, my lord.” Tochra said as Corey trailed off into a thoughtful silence. “I believe it will soon be time for you to bring forth your power and breathe life into a new Phasal Titan. I will gather the others so we may witness this momentous occasion!”

Even though it was early May, there was an unseasonal cold snap on the night of Liam’s party, not that it seemed to be an impediment to any of the revelers. Corey watched from his position near the drinks’ table at the end of the open plan kitchen as classmates and students from seemingly every grade bumped and grinded against each other on the dark dance floor. Someone had brought in a full DJ setup: turntables, speakers, even a disco ball and strobe lighting. Mason had left him a few minutes before to go and find some of their other friends, but Corey was content to stand and observe. Even before his powers manifested everyone would ignore him or not notice his presence, but it didn’t mean he was blind to the cliques and scandals that occurred.

A smirk quirked his lips when he spotted Liam in the middle of the group, arms waving wildly above his head, legs going in opposite directions, his body vibing back and forth, hideously uncoordinated. Anyone who didn’t know his secret would mistake his “dancing” for being falling down drunk, but Corey wasn’t fooled. He sipped his own drink, vodka and Coke, the sharp burn of the alcohol dripped down his throat, warming one moment before being neutralized by his enhanced healing abilities. If Liam knew he was here, the werewolf hadn’t acknowledged his presence, but Corey hadn’t expected him to.

Movement on the dancefloor caught his eye, over by the windows where the couches had been pushed back to make room for the DJ setup. Corey watched passively as a girl he vaguely recognized from his Creative Writing class snaked her way through the dancers, seemingly on a direct intercept course for Liam. _Curious…hmm, Debra, was it? Perhaps._ He took another drink, brows rising momentarily when Debra reached Liam and pulled him into a sudden embrace, kissing him deeply in front of everyone.

“What did I miss?” Mason said as he returned to the drinks’ table. “Corey?”

“Did Liam get a girlfriend?” Corey glanced at him and then pointed towards the couple, surrounded now by wolf whistles and drunken cheering. 

“Uh, no…last I heard he was still figuring himself out.” Mason replied and shrugged. “But maybe he has figured out what he likes: girls, huh?”

“Maybe he just likes being groped in public.” Corey muttered, arching a brow when Debra’s hand disappeared down the front of Liam’s chinos, her arm pumping in a very obvious gesture. The Shard Emperor turned away, a grimace of disgust crossing his face as Mason chuckled. “There’s a time and a place for that.”

“Haha, sure, but it’s barely ten thirty and pretty much everyone is wasted already!” Mason placed his arm around Corey’s waist, quickly removing it when he felt him tense up. “What’s with you?”

“Nothing, I just feel out of place.” Corey replied, fighting the urge to transition to a different Phase and retreat from teenagers crowding into his space, the chaotic combinations of scents overpowering in a way that was unpleasant and unfamiliar. _Huh, the Phase Walkers don’t have a scent, do they? But here…sweat and perfume and the stink of humanity! Ugh, I need air._ “I’m going outside.”

“Ok, do you want me to come with or…?”

“I need air.” Corey repeated, aloud this time.

“Oh, sure, uh, I’m gonna go back and talk to Nolan and Gabe.”

“Wait, _they’re_ here?” Corey looked at him in surprise as Mason shrugged and walked away. “Huh, Liam did invite everyone after all.” _Hah, he invited the hunters, but didn’t have the balls to ask me directly? Mason said he would, but he didn’t. Whatever._

Time passed in a slow jumble of images: the moon overhead, bright and luminous, not quite at its zenith, music spilling out into Liam’s back yard towards the crowded pool, some people on loungers or playing with pool toys, others sitting on the edge, showing off their bodies with the easy confidence that came from playing sports or being thin, while others retreated from the pool and gathered in shy groups away from the popular kids. Corey watched it all in cool detachment, an observer on the outside, occasionally talking to those who sought him out directly. But these weren’t _his_ people, they didn’t know him, not really.

Midnight found him sitting in a lawn chair as Liam came outside, shirtless and in inadvisably tight white trunks. Corey pursed his lips when the werewolf dove into the pool and then climbed out when someone called his name, the fabric of his swimwear revealing the shape and girth of his dick with perfect clarity. “I wonder was that by choice?” He mused aloud, glancing up when Mason sat in the seat next to him. “Well, now everyone knows what Liam is packing!”

“Oh yeah, he was very proud of finding those trunks last weekend!” Mason giggled, slurring his words a little. “He wants to give everyone a show!”

“I can see that.” Corey frowned as Liam grabbed a cute guy by the loops of his belt and pulled the guy flush against him, their lips coming together hard as they started to make out. “Damn, don’t think Debra is going to like that.”

“Hey, maybe it’s planned? Kinky threesome to celebrate his birthday?!” Mason leered at him.

“I doubt it,” Corey shook his head, catching a better look at the guy’s face as Liam stood back to rip the Junior’s shirt off. “Since that’s her younger brother, Daniel.”

“Oh…fuck, this is gonna be hella awkward!” Mason laughed, pointing at the doors that led into the house. “There she is!”

“How can he be such a mess when he can’t even get drunk?”

“At least he’s not a sack of misery like you’ve been all night.” Mason snapped at him.

“What?” Corey turned around sharply.

“Uh, I-I didn’t mean that; it just came out.” His boyfriend’s expression was shocked, and Mason shook his head. “Corey, I’m sorry, I-”

“No, you clearly have something to say.” He stood up and gestured towards the end of the garden, away from the party. “So, come over here and say it.”

“Damn it…” Mason grunted and followed him into the shadow of an oak tree. “I didn’t mean it, Corey!”

“You clearly did: people always tell the truth when they’re drunk.” Corey folded his arms across his chest, his eyes hard. “No inhibitions, no filter. So talk.”

“Fine, you know what? Fine.” Mason glared at him. “Why did you even agree to come if you were just going to avoid everyone all the time? You’ve barely even talked to me!”

“I’ve talked to you plenty, you’ve just seemed more interested in drinking than anything else.” Corey replied calmly, feeling the familiar surge of power flood through him, the mental connection to his Council of Regents strengthening as they converged to advise and guide him. _Always there when I need them…_ “Look, I didn’t want to come, but you did, you even said you’d talk to Liam about smoothing things over, but instead he’s ignored me all night and doesn’t seem interested in fixing things. Fine, whatever, school is practically over, we’re going to college in a few months.”

“Are you sure?” Mason put his drink on the ground and straightened up. “Are you sure you’re going to go to college? Don’t you have _other_ things to do?”

“If you have something to say, say it.”

“I’m not stupid, Corey.” Mason started as Corey barked a laugh. “What?”

“If there’s one thing I know for sure, you’re the smartest person I’ve ever met, well, for a human.”

“What does that mean?” Mason frowned. “Are you saying you know smarter supernaturals?”

“Phase Walkers: they can do things, conceive of things, that you-we-never could.” Corey sighed and then shrugged. “I’ve been spending a lot of my time in the Hallowed World, the Darkened World too.”

“I thought they were in ruins, nothing down there but ghosts is what you said.”

“Not anymore.” Corey smiled as a swell of pride raced through him. “I’ve changed it: restored their power, their civilization, I lead them.”

“Uh huh.” Mason grunted, watching him warily. “Leading them where?”

“The where isn’t important, just that you know I have some…enhanced abilities boosted by this power source we call Shard energy.” Corey explained, eyes narrowing as Mason gave him a nervous grin and nodded along as though he didn’t believe him. “There are three Shard Conduits which allow this energy to flow through the five Phases, empowering them and enabling the Phase Walkers to do amazing things.”

“Right, right, uh, hah, I know I haven’t been checking up on you as much since the…battle, but clearly I should have-”

“You don’t believe me?” Corey chuckled and then snapped his fingers, summoning a pair of Phasal Brutes to his side. The horned monsters materialized in a twist of purple smoke and Mason jumped backwards. “Recognize them?”

“They…Theo’s creatures!”

“Not Theo’s, _mine._ I let him take the credit.” Corey shrugged as the Brutes began to circle Mason, snorting and stamping the ground aggressively. “He felt it was for the best, that I would be…exposed if things went wrong. And they did go wrong, didn’t they, Mason?”

“This again,” Mason managed, looking at Corey instead of the waist-high monsters that were covered in scaly armor and pointy spikes. “We’ve had this discussion.”

“Not with Liam, not with the truth, and I am tired of letting him think Theo was responsible!” Corey shouted, clenching his fists furiously. There was a corresponding howl from the Brutes that echoed over the music behind them. 

“Ok, ok, calm down, calm down.” Mason held out his hands placatingly. “Theo was kind of responsible though, he forced the conflict. And it’s just easier for Liam to think that-”

“Is it? Let’s ask him, shall we?” Corey gestured sharply to his left, dismissing the Brutes as Liam hurried over to them, soaking wet and gesturing wildly at them. “Sorted out your threesome dilemma?”

“What the hell, guys? What was that sound?!” Liam ignored him and spoke to Mason. “What are you doing back here?”

“Having a pointless argument.” Mason replied evenly. He looked at Corey as though daring him to defy him. “Just an old futile discussion that’s not going to change anything.”

“Huh?” Liam finally glanced at Corey. “What is he talking about?”

“The Anuk-Ite, its defeat and the battle that happened afterwards.” Corey said, taking a deep breath. “You don’t know what really happened, Liam, you just went along with the lie because Scott told you it happened that way.”

“Corey…”

“No, Mason, I’ve kept quiet for too long.” The Shard Emperor lunged forward suddenly and grabbed them each by the arm. “Come with me and I will show you the truth!” He yanked them backwards, transitioning easily into the Hallowed World and stepping out of Liam’s backyard and into the City of Spheres, the great portal hub of the Shard Empire. 

Phase Walkers of every Idol peered at them as Corey released Liam and Mason’s arms. He smirked at their expressions; Mason looking around in confusion as awe made Liam’s jaw go slack. “Welcome to the Shard Empire reborn!” Corey whirled around and spread his arms wide. “You are in a place that few others from the Inflexible World have ever been.”

“Inflexible?” Mason recovered quickly and grabbed Liam’s hand to drag him along as Corey walked briskly across a plaza of emerald green stone towards a round building that stretched impossibly high, its peak lost in the clouds. “The real world?”

“Indeed, now come this way.” Corey stepped inside the entrance of the tower and waited for them to catch up before he directed them to the central lobby about the size of a football field. Hundreds of shimmering portals hung in the air, dozens of Phase Walkers passing in and out without hesitation. “This will take us to when we want to go.”

“When?”

“Exactly.” Corey smiled again. “I could have recreated the battle in the blank canvas of the World In-Between, but I doubt you would have believed me. However, we have technology that allows memories to be shared and even enables us to traverse the memoryscape and see things that have happened before in a new light.”

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea, Corey.” Mason said warningly. “Liam doesn’t need-”

“I did not bring you here to ask your opinion!” Corey roared, anger exploding behind him in a flashbang of red smoke, both of them jumping back in alarm. “This is happening! The truth _will_ be revealed! And your lies will stop!”

“Lies?” Liam glanced at Mason, his eyes narrowed. “What’s he talking about, bro?”

“Let me show you.” Corey took a deep breath and held up his hands, fingers splayed as he created the memoryscape and opened a portal. “Step through, learn the truth.”

“Don’t do it, Liam.” Mason shook his head. “It’s not going to change anything. How do you know it’s even real?”

“I don’t, but _this_ is incredible.” Liam arched his head back and looked up at the spiraling staircase that corkscrewed up the tower. He looked back down at Mason and shook his head a little. “Besides, I always thought that Scott blaming Corey for helping Theo was a little…off. Sorry.” He added to Corey.

“Step through.” The Shard Emperor repeated. He gave a small laugh and made to go through himself. “Or stay here, good luck finding your way home without me.”

“Oh hell no! I’ve got to get back to Debra and Daniel!” Liam cried out and followed Corey through the portal. 

They emerged into a dark recreation of the ruins of Argent Arms International, the storm overhead, lightning crashing down nearby, rain obscuring too many details. Frozen figures were visible all around them: Theo and the Phasal Brutes fighting Jackson and Ethan, Nolan and Gabe retreating as Liam attacked them, Scott at the center of the scene, Corey half hidden in another Phase, Mason clutched by the werewolf, his claws bared.

“This is the moment before it happened: Scott was using Mason as a human shield.” Corey explained as Mason emerged from the portal after Liam. “The edges of the memory are fuzzy because I was not paying attention to everyone one else. Watch.” He snapped his fingers and the memory sprung to life.

There was a sudden bloom of brilliant white light and screaming from Malia and Lydia off to one side. Theo turned around and addressed Scott directly, his words mechanical and distorted from his helmet. “I warned you not to cross the Alchemist! These two need urgent medical treatment; abandon this battle and let me leave! You can treat them, stop their suffering.”

“Not until you’re dealt with first!” Scott snarled in response. “Gah!” Corey had just punched him in the small of the back and the werewolf had swung out with his claws, trying to hit him. Retreating into a different Phase protected Corey from the assault, but Mason wasn’t as lucky and the Alpha’s claws scythed into his chest, slicing his skin with ease and ripping through the organs inside.

“Fuck.” Liam muttered as Corey paused the memory again. He stared at the droplets of blood hanging in the air as Scott’s claws sprung from Mason’s ragged wound. “Ok, keep going, I think I remember what happens next but…damn.”

“Very well.” Corey resumed the memory and watched with simmering anger as Scott tossed Mason to one side without a second thought, the teenager smashing into a concrete slab with a meaty thud. 

“Enough.” Mason called out, glaring at Corey. “I don’t need to see myself get beat up.”

“But I did.” Liam said, staring at the broken body. “Because all I saw that night was you getting hurt and Theo standing over you. I never would have thought Scott had…damn…turn it off, will you, Corey?”

“Of course.” The Shard Emperor clapped his hands once and a moment later they were standing on the lifeless grey soil of a dead world, nothing but rolling ashen hills visible for miles around. Stars were spread across the sky and the sun was a distant blue orb near the horizon. He clenched his fists quickly and Liam and Mason were abruptly dressed in spacesuits, their gasping breaths contained. “Sorry, I forgot how limited you are.”

“Hold on, where the hell are we?” Mason managed, bent over as he sucked down the oxygen pumping into his helmet. “Is this outer space? How can you even breathe?”

“Now, now, don’t change the subject.” 

“Change the subject?! But-”

“He’s right.” Liam cut across him, glaring at Mason. “This might be incredible, but what we just saw…you knew what happened, right? And it’s all true, there’s no way you’d be protesting this much if Corey had made it up. But why, Mason? I don’t understand why you protected Scott.”

“Well, maybe I…you just seemed…Theo isn’t even here, but Scott is.” Mason struggled to explain as Liam’s expression darkened. “You and Scott finally seemed to be back in a good place, friends after the whole…Hayden thing. I didn’t want to jeopardise that!”

“So, instead you let me think that my exboyfriend-who I genuinely cared for-attacked you and would have killed you without my interference? When all the time he was actually helping you?!” Liam was shouting now, his words muffled by the spacesuit, but his intentions clear. “Why didn’t you correct me when you woke up in the hospital? Why did you let me think Corey was involved?! I burned that friendship in an instant because he was defending Theo!”

“You made that decision yourself!” Mason shouted back before he looked at Corey. “Can’t you bring us somewhere else?!”

“You’ll be able to breathe in a moment.” The Shard Emperor replied calmly, standing with his arms outstretched. The soil beneath their feet was no longer grey, but a healthy brown, green shoots curling out across the ground. A flash of blue blossomed in the eastern edge of the sky before flooding across it and hiding the stars from view, forcing the sun into a brighter yellow. “Yes, you don’t need those anymore.” Corey waved his hand in their direction and the spacesuits crumbled into dust, leaving Mason dressed as he was at the party and Liam still in just his transparent trunks. “Satisfied?”

“Not entirely.” Liam grumbled and dropped his hands in front of his bulge. “But anyway…so Scott has been lying to me this whole time.”

“I’m sorry.” Mason said, not looking at either of them. “I don’t know what else I can say.”

“I need to go back,” Liam glanced at Corey. “Can you take me to Scott? Or home first so I can get some pants?”

“Of course; this will take you to the Inflexible World.” Corey reached forward and pulled open a portal from thin air as Liam nodded gratefully. “You will find that not much time has passed on the surface.”

“Thanks.” Liam made to walk forward and then paused to hold Corey’s gaze. “Hey, thanks for showing me. I think I always knew, I just didn’t want to confront the fact that my Alpha was lying, that I had turned Theo-and you-into these…monsters. I’m sorry, Corey, I hope you can forgive me, not right now of course, but some day?”

“Perhaps.” Corey nodded, watching as Liam stepped through the shimmering disk of silver light. “Huh, that went better than I expected.”

“For you, sure.” Mason glared at him bitterly. “I told some half-truths and now my best friend hates me, but you’ve been hiding all of this and never told us!”

“You didn’t ask.” Corey shook his head as he prepared to open a new portal to the Inflexible World. “Did you really think I was studying these last six months?”

“I thought you were avoiding me because of…” Mason sighed and gestured aimlessly. “Fuck it, just take me home.”

“Step through the portal, you’ll be in your bedroom.” The Shard Emperor looked away from him as the plants that emerged a few minutes earlier began to flower, a new garden created on the once dead world. 

“Fine, thanks.” Mason said grudgingly. “Give me a few days and I’ll text you.”

“Sure.” Corey turned away and began walking through the thickening vegetation as Mason stepped through the portal, leaving him alone on the newly fertile world.

The Shard Emperor stood atop the heavily fortified battlements of a frontier outpost, looking out on the reforming landscape, Shard energy flowing from him and flattening hills, drying swamps, planting new forests, and directing river waters to appropriate routes. He glanced to one side as the rallying cry of one of the Phasal Regents reached his ears. Corey walked around to the other side of the fortress, a smile pulling at his lips as he witnessed dozens of portals from the Hallowed World flash into existence. 

Already there were tens of thousands of Phase Walkers lined up before the castle walls, legions of Phasal Brutes of all different shapes and sizes, howling and roaring and baying their blood chilling cries, eager to be unleashed among The Scattered. A towering Phasal Titan stood at the head of each army, their gargantuan size almost impossible to comprehend. Corey nodded, satisfaction making him smile as Tochra and Rascon arrived behind him. “The forces are ready.”

“Yes, my lord. We are awaiting your command.” Rascon bowed.

“Send forth all legions,” Corey ordered. “Do not stop the attack until the last of the rebels have been reabsorbed into the Conduit.”

“I will see it done.” There was a distinctive clunk as Rascon saluted him and then turned away, leaving Corey alone with Tochra.

“I have made a decision,” Corey turned around as the armies began to deploy. “Begin the Consort Project: harness Shard energy and create for me a Phase Walker that can accompany me in all Phases, who is beautiful and strong and male with everything that it entails.”

“We will need examples, it will take many, hmm, decades perhaps.”

“I know your concept of time is non-existent, but I have ideas and models for you to use.” Corey smirked. “Don’t worry, the Empire is now my primary focus.”


	7. A Foot in Five Worlds

“Awesome game, dude, really impressive!” Corey complemented Ryder, his roommate’s best friend as they walked back through campus. They were surrounded on all sides by thousands of other students, all strolling in the same direction away from the football field. Talking filled the air, interrupted now and again by triumphant shouting and vigorous celebrating. “We would’ve lost for sure if that field goal had missed!”

“Tell me about it!” Ryder grinned at him. The handsome jock was tall and tanned, with muscular legs and thighs, and a leaner, more defined upper body, at least as far as Corey could tell from the way the guy’s t-shirt fell across his chest and stomach. “Especially after that blocked punt in the third quarter, I was thinking about it all game.”

“Yeah, you’re a real hero.” Mason grumbled from Corey’s other side; his attention fixed on the lit screen of his phone.

“What?”

“Ignore him,” Corey chuckled and nudged Ryder good-humoredly. “Mason is just bitter that I dragged him to the game: not his idea of a fun Friday night!”

“Hah, uh, ok.” Ryder nodded and smiled at Corey, his eyes lingering on his face for a fraction of a second too long. “I’m glad you came though.”

“Yeah, well, I told Arthur that I would, and it was a lot of fun.” Corey replied casually, turning around to see if he could spot his roommate. “I do not see him though…”

“Oh, I think he left ahead of you-I didn’t see him charge the field and he normally does that when we win, or even when we don’t!” Ryder winked at him and then nodded. “Yeah, I bet he’s gone ahead to make sure the victory party is in full swing before we all get there.”

“There’s a party too?!” Mason sighed loudly and looked over at Corey. “You know I have a couple of, uh, papers that need…” He trailed off as Corey arched a brow at him.

“I’m not going to force you to come, but Liam and that new girl, uh…”

“Kelly.”

“Right, _Kelly_ , uh, she’ll be there.” Corey replied evenly. “Well, you haven’t met her yet, so you should, she’s awesome. Best match for Liam so far this year!”

“When did you met her?”

“On Monday, you had that test you wanted to study for, remember?”

“Right, yes, the test.” Mason responded slowly; his brows furrowed as though he was trying to remember something different. “Classics?”

“Ethics.” Corey frowned. _Weird, since when does Mason forget which classes he’s taking?_ “Uh, whatever, yeah, I met Kelly. She’s wild as hell, we started drinking at five in the evening and left the bar at two in the morning, she even gave Liam this like sexy stripper pole dance on those lampposts up by the quad. Yeah, she’s nuts! But, like, fun nuts!”

“Damn, I should start hanging out with you guys!” Ryder laughed and nodded approvingly as Mason stared at him, lips parted.

“I…why did I think this was choir girl Kelly with, you know, the big hair?” Mason gestured vaguely at his head. “No?”

“Oooh, _that_ Kelly, no, they broke up like three weeks ago.” Corey shook his head. “Keep up, dude, you’re meant to be his best friend!”

“I don’t think I have time to keep up with all of Liam’s train wreck relationships.” Mason sighed and slipped his phone into his pocket. “But I better meet this Kelly, just for reference.”

“Cool.” Ryder nodded and then looked back towards Corey. “You ever been to the Alpha Delta Epsilon house before?”

“Err, no, I’ve passed by it, but never went in.” Corey shook his head as Mason walked faster in front of them, as though eager to get out of the conversation. “And no, before you ask, I didn’t consider pledging.”

“Why not? We don’t haze people anymore!” Ryder smirked at him conspiratorially. “Well, not with the _traditional_ methods!”

“Yeah, I’ve seen enough Sean Cody to know what that means!” Corey shrugged after a moment of both of them chuckling. “Yeah, no, I actually have a lot going on already, I can’t really devote my time to another organization.”

“Oh, yeah, Arthur said you were a, um, some sort of, uh, role-player?”

“Well, when you say it like that, of course it’s going to sound nerdy as hell!” He laughed even as Ryder made to apologize. “Relax, it’s fine. I actually don’t do any of the RP, I just make the weapons, armor, sets, look after the financing, location shooting, that sort of thing. Manager, Prop Master, and Game Master!”

“Wow, cool.”

“It’s a good chance to meet different people too.” _And an excellent opportunity to hone my abilities in the Inflexible World which is finally beginning to become malleable._ Corey added silently to himself. He smiled briefly. “So, no, I’m not a frat-bro like you.”

“Is that such a bad thing?” Ryder asked, rolling his gaze over Corey in an obvious way. “Heh, so I gotta ask; you and Mason, that’s a thing, right?”

“It is a…complicated thing.” Corey answered slowly, looking over the people in front of them when he heard the shrill blast of dubstep in the distance. “We dated in high school, and in theory we came here together, but that was last year. Since we started sophomore year, he’s been a lot more distant. I would say we have more a sort of open relationship kinda thing; we can hook up with other people and have fun like that. But it’s fine, you know, honesty is the bedrock here, at least, it’s meant to be.” He added quietly.

“That does sound complicated, do you know what you want out of the relationship?” Ryder paused and then face palmed. “Sorry, oh my god, sorry, man, psyche major, my bad.”

“Ahh, and he’s intelligent too!” Corey grinned. “Yeah, no, you’re cool. It’s just I’ve been with a good few other guys and Mason hasn’t been. He’s been pretty clear that he’d tell me if he had and it’s, you know, kinda weird. Sometimes I think we should just formally break up and every time I mention that he’s super-weird about it. Mason feels like he owes me for…well, it’s just he’s not willing to let go and I’ve given him plenty of chances to do so.” He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “Damn, sorry, I really brought the mood down.”

“Aw, no way, man.” Ryder nudged him and smiled. “C’mon, we’re nearly there, I’ll give you the royal tour! Buck you back right up!”

“COREY!!” Liam shouted from across the crowded living room floor. He was balanced precariously on several kegs and had two solo cups in his hands. “Over here, Corey!”

“Yeah, I see ya, Liam!” He shouted back, waving at his friend. “Get your ass over here!”

“Will I try and crowd surf?!”

“No, you will not try to crowd surf! It’s barely ten o’clock, no one here is drunk enough to support you!”

“Aww, ok.” Liam sighed and climbed down carefully.

“Is he drunk already?” Ryder asked as he snagged two cups for them from the nearby liquor table. 

“No, that’s just Liam’s personality.” Corey sighed and accepted the offered cup, some pale blue liquid in the bottom fifth. “He completely reinvented himself in college; new clothes, got an ill-advised tattoo, had a threesome on his first, the usual stuff! Just don’t ask about the hair.”

“Pink and gold dye is adventurous with his skin tone.”

“There’s a story there, and trust me, you do not want to hear it.” Corey grinned back at Ryder before turning to speak to Liam when he emerged from the crowd. “Hey, man.”

“Corey! Yeah! Victory! Woooot!” Liam pumped his fist in the air, spilling beer on the people behind him. “Oh, shit! Sorry, broskis!”

“How about you take it down a few notches, huh?” Corey smirked at his friend and then gestured at Ryder. “I think you might know Ryder Wells, kicker, definite MVP in my mind, and all-around good guy?”

“I didn’t think you knew that much about me?” Ryder shook Liam’s offered hand as he glanced at Corey. “Let me guess, Arthur’s been talking again?”

“Oh yeah, orphanages and puppy rescue and-”

“He needs to tone that shit down.” Ryder looked uncomfortable as Liam stared at him, lips parted. “It’s just volunteer work, chill! Everyone on the team does stuff like this.”

“Yeah, alright, so, where’s Kelly?” Corey swiftly changed the subject and looked around as they strolled deeper into the common room and away from the entrance. “Mason is here, somewhere, he wanted to meet your new girl. Which, by the way, why didn’t you and her just meet up with him sooner? I’ve already met her! We’ve had drinks twice this week! But he still thought you and choir girl Kelly were a thing, so what the hell, Liam?”

“I’m not sure they’re going to hit it off, honestly.” Liam replied, taking a drink of his beer and flicking his head so his long, flowing hair swept backwards dramatically. “Kelly is…you know, uh-”

“Wild, free, a riot.”

“Exactly! A tiger in the sheets! Ah!” Liam growled and gnashed his teeth excitedly. “You should see the scratches I have-”

“I don’t want to,” Corey cut across him as Ryder smirked and Liam shrugged. “Don’t take your shirt off.”

“Fine, I won’t, not yet anyway!” Liam guffawed into his drink. “Haha, but yeah, Mason is still super bookish and kinda, you know, unfun.”

“Is that even a word?” 

“No idea, but he’d know!” Liam gestured expansively, almost spilling his drink again before Corey reached up to steady his arm. “Thanks!”

“Alright, well,” Corey paused as he spotted a spill of platinum blond hair across the room from them next to the twin speakers and laptop that was being used to blast music throughout the house. “Ah, I think that’s Kelly over there. Why don’t you go grab her and I’ll try and find Mason? You guys have to meet each other…and I’ll, you know, watch from the sidelines and laugh as she definitely flirts with him!” 

“Hah hah, fine.” Liam sighed and knocked back both of his drinks before tossing the crumpled cups into a nearby bin. “Meet you by the giant hippo statue?”

“The giant…what?”

“It’s in the trophy room.” Ryder explained as Liam walked away. “I can show you-would have showed you-on the grand tour of course.”

“Oh, yeah, sorry.” Corey smiled at him apologetically. “Another time, I guess.”

“Any time.” Ryder clicked his tongue and met Corey’s gaze head-on.

“Hmm, yeah, I really do need to find Mason though, he’s been so freaking weird around Liam since…well, since we got here.” Corey sighed and scanned the room, searching for Mason, his abilities activating with ease. _No scent here, wait, ah, he passed through._ “What’s out there?” 

“Patio, pool, the deck area, smokers’ pit.”

“That last one sounds ominous.” Corey chuckled as he started towards the double doors that led outside. “C’mon.”

“Meh, we’re trying to discourage smoking and vaping, not good for your health, especially if you’re an athlete.” Ryder explained as he followed Corey. “Does your, uh, friend smoke?”

“I don’t think so, unless you count the, um, occasional pot habit.” Corey wrinkled his nose as a fresh wave of unpleasant human scents washed over him. _Uh, how I long for the purity of the Hallowed World and its neutral tone! But…Ryder’s scent is…nicer: somewhat aggressive, a little spicy, a little-no, I’m meant to be searching for Mason._ He shook his head and concentrated, finally picking out Mason’s scent among the crowd. “Ah, hang on, I think he’s over there, texting. Of course.”

“It’s way too early in the night to be hiding out on your own.” Ryder said, stopping to acknowledge some of the other players and fans by the pool. “Hey guys!”

“Yo, bro!”

“Ryder! My man with the game saving kick!”

“Yeah, yeah, this is my friend, Corey.” Ryder gestured at him as the other jocks nodded their greetings. “Just showing him around our house, you know.”

“Did you show him the trophy room?”

“Not yet, but I’m gonna,” Ryder paused as Corey glanced back towards the house. “I mean, as long as there’s no one humping a girl on the Goofy statue like last time I wanted to show someone around.”

“Dude! That was one time!” One of the jocks Corey vaguely recognized from the game protested loudly. “And she was super into it!”

“Too into it, Bryan, way too into it!”

“That should be a warning sign.” Corey muttered as the group laughed. “Hey, I’m gonna go grab Mason for Liam and I’ll see you in a few, ok?” 

“Oh, ok.” Ryder smiled and gave him the thumbs up as Corey nodded. “Cool.”

He continued onwards, pushing past other people and skirting the edge of the large rectangular pool until he reached the maintenance shed next to the lawn that stretched out behind the frat house, discarded footballs and sporting equipment littering the grass. Mason was leaning against the wall of the shed, his face lit up by the screen of his phone. “There you are.”

“Corey!” Mason startled and hurriedly locked his phone. 

“Right, that wasn’t suspicious at all!” Corey chuckled but Mason just swallowed uneasily. “I was joking.”

“Err, right. Where’s your new buddy?”

“Ryder? He’s over there, talking to his bros.” Corey gestured across the pool and then smirked. “You’re not _jealous_ , are you?”

“What? No.” Mason frowned at him and shook his head. “You’re free to hook up with who you want to.”

“What if I wanted to do more than just hook up with him?” Corey asked bluntly as Mason winced. “He’s hot, he’s nice, he seems to like me.”

“I guess that could work.” Mason replied awkwardly. “You do you.”

“Really, ok, then what the hell are we doing, Mason?” Corey asked, shaking his head slowly. “Why are we still together? You don’t…hmm. Never mind, Liam’s here, let’s go meet him.”

“Yeah, I, uh, actually I’ve been meaning to talk to you about us and everything you just said. I just, I didn’t think it’d be somewhere like this, haha.” He laughed nervously and looked at Corey hopefully. “Maybe you can bring us to one of your-”

“No.” Corey cut him off swiftly. “The Phased Worlds are not for your…they are not for you.”

“Right, ok. We’ll do it here, right. Ok.” Mason nodded, clearly uncomfortable. “So, um, I hooked up with a guy.”

“Oh, ok, cool, that’s great actually!” The Phasal Lord smiled happily. “I’m glad to hear you’re finally getting something out of our arrangement. I was beginning to wonder-”

“Yeah, it’s not like your hook ups though.”

“Meaning?”

“More than once?” Mason replied carefully, avoiding Corey’s gaze. “It’s actually kinda more like…I’m seeing him.”

“Ah.” Corey nodded slowly, clicking his tongue. “Ok, so, last week when you said you had to study for that test that no one else in your class had, you were with him?”

“You know about that?”

“Uh, yeah, Ethics 201 is pretty big, I know some of them from my Comparative Communication classes so…yeah. I figured that you were doing something you didn’t want me to know about.” Corey nodded. “When did you guys start dating?”

“Um, October.” Mason replied with a grimace. “Which was-”

“A month ago?” Corey’s brows furrowed. “That’s a long time not to tell me, I tell you everything about my hook ups the day after, sometimes even an hour afterwards. What the hell, Mason? What happened to honesty being the most important thing to you? October was-”

“Try October…last year.”

“What?” Corey said quietly, feeling a howling sensation rush through his chest. “You’ve been seeing the same guy for over a year?”

“Yeah, I…” Mason shrugged helplessly. “I know what it sounds like.”

“We only started having an open relationship in May of _this_ year.” 

“Yeah, I know, but-”

“So, all this time you were seeing someone behind my back. Huh. Did he know that you had a boyfriend of some sort?” Corey clenched his jaw as he felt the familiar pressure in his forehead and against his temples; the Council of Regents lending him their power and advise when they sensed his upset and anger. “Well?”

“Yeah, he knows about you.” Mason sighed. “I’m sorry, I should have told you sooner.”

“Yeah, that would have been nice, we could have just broken up, I could have…seen other guys, done other stuff, which I didn’t because we were still together.” Corey growled, slowly balling his hands into fists as anger built in his chest. “So, who is this guy? No, let me guess, the creeper in your dorms from last year: always hitting on you in the most skin-crawling way possible? Or was it that pompous assclown in the Debate Club? Or perhaps-”

“I’m not telling you and you’re not going to guess it.”

“Ah, you seem to have forgotten who I am.” Corey glared at him and raised one of his fists. A shimmering aura of bright white light wrapped around his knuckles before he grounded the energy in the pavement at his feet. A loud crack whipped through the air and the impact crater flashed with smoke and fire as Mason shrunk back, suddenly afraid. “I am a Phasal Lord: matter bends to my will! I can simply cloak and follow you in the Phased World, see where you go, who you meet, what you do. You won’t be aware of me, but I’ll find out who this guy is. You’re better off just telling me.”

“It’s, uh, Professor Andreas.” Mason said quietly.

“Huh, him, wow.” Corey shook his head slowly and backed away from Mason. “I can’t believe you.”

“Corey, I-”

“Don’t talk to me!” He shouted, the sudden explosion of anger causing the water in the pool behind him churn and roil violently, throwing people off their floating loungers. “When we agreed to change to an open relationship, you said that honesty was all we needed, yet even then you were lying to me!”

“What are you doing? You can’t do anything here, that’s what you said!” Mason cried out, pointing at the pool. “You only have abilities in the Phased World!” 

“The Inflexible World is becoming a little more…adaptive.” Corey growled and shook his head. “We’re done, you can explain to Liam why, I don’t want to see you again.”

“But Corey-”

“No! Not unless you want to be turned inside out! Even my limited abilities here will be enough for that!” The Phasal Lord snarled at him and melted into the darkness of the garden behind them, transitioning effortlessly into the Hallowed World. _The arrogance! How dare he…_

Towering spires of red rock floated above him, outlined in stark detail against the azure sky as a flock of alien birds flew overhead, their sharp cries echoing off the canyon city Corey found himself standing in. He had wandered for hours, becoming a cloud a silver energy as he traversed the cosmos, running far away from his problems on one tiny world among the universes. The Phasal Worlds opened to him like a flower, infinite freedom and unlimited purpose. Now as he reformed into his human appearance, Corey released a deep breath, a sense of peace returning to him, Mason and his dishonesty far from his thoughts.

This city was one of the newer ones, far out on the frontier and away from the cluster of metropolises that had sprung up around the Conduit’s anchoring point. Instead, the buildings here were carefully constructed of the same red sandstone that comprised the canyon walls. He could see different Phase Walkers moving among the buildings, reaching up with their many strong arms to shape the stone and bring forth new materials from the Shard energy pool that dominated the center of the settlement. It appeared that most of the Phase Walkers here were of the Exalter Idol; builders and craftspeople, those who harnessed Shard energy to create the many great monuments that decorated both the Hallowed and Darkened Worlds. 

They were clad in simple terracotta robes, some wearing only loincloths or open shirts, and had a broadly humanoid physical appearance with defined male musculature in a manner Corey found pleasing. But the Exalter were both taller and more brawny than the average human, carrying over some of Corey’s own appearance along with a build best suited to labor and construction.

They had begun to notice him now, hushed whispers spreading through the city as more and more Phase Walkers emerged from the buildings and construction sites to watch his passage. Corey acknowledged some of their stares with a smile and a wave, gold smoke dragging after him like a cape fluttering in the breeze, his joy made manifest. He found his way to the center of the stone city, stopping when he reached the great pool of Shard energy that was contained in a circular well, the silver power source lapping gently at the sides, waves of bright white light rolling off its surface. 

Most of the new and rebuilt cities had no direct access to the great Conduit that passed through their realm. Instead, it could be seen overhead as the flow of energy arched through the universe, falling down on their planets like silver rain. It was gathered from the mountains and the rivers, funneled through great pipes and collected here, in reservoirs, for use by the local Phase Walkers.

Corey knelt down and dipped his hand into the pool, causing the Shard energy to churn and boil against his skin, soaking into it and recharging him effortlessly. “Hmm, good, your source is pure.”

“You honor us with your presence, mighty Shard Emperor.” The deep voice came from behind him and Corey turned around to see that several dozen Phase Walkers had gathered at the entrance to the city center. “How may we serve you, my lord?”

“You don’t have to, I’m just…wandering around.” Corey replied simply. He smiled at them as several smaller Phase Walkers pushed their way to the front to stare at him. _Children, I suppose, although I know they don’t see them that way._ “Your city is impressive, your world is pleasant, your unity is satisfying to me. Perhaps I will return again in the future when your building is complete. I can see a fortress of red rock standing upon the barren plains, imposing, unyielding. Towers of granite rise at the edges, batteries of Shard shot guard each point, a World Barker pointed at the skies, ready to rend whatever evil comes from the dark beyond.” 

As he spoke, Corey gestured in the air, a miniature model of his description forming from sand drawn upwards from the ground. The other Phase Walkers came closer, their interest palpable. He smiled and watched the walls of the fortress form, then the bailey and finally the keep. “Yes, a star of iron to keep this place safe, I shall make it so, and you will worship me as the best among you!”

Later, as he walked along the familiar paths of the Darkened World, Corey found himself wandering close to the Temple of Fate. The greatest structure in all the Phasal Worlds dominated the land around it; even the city that had sprung up to serve the Walkers, Lords, and Regents who worked inside it had been sunken into the earth. A great valley sloped away to the side of the path, hiding the offending megapolis from view. It was midnight now, the sun fading away completely even as the many moons of the nameless planet he stood on rose overhead, bathing the Temple in silver light, giving its slick darkness a glowing sheen.

A thought later and Corey was standing in the central laboratory some two miles under the surface. The cavernous space was large enough to drop the entire city of Cordanick into and still have space enough for Anvil to hop around in. Parts of it were segmented off to serve different purposes, but Corey was only interested in two areas: the great Hall of Titans and the Chamber of Infinity which held the personal relics and weapons of the Shard Emperor. The former was directly in front of him: impossibly high and long, housing the bones of the Phasal Titans as they were crafted from idea to reality, from dust to flesh and bone, where the Shard Emperor breathed life into them and unleashed the greatest weapons of the Phasal Lords’ army.

As he walked under the entrance archway and into the space itself, Corey ignored the attention he was garnering from the scientists and researchers and builders, instead focusing on the gargantuan creature in front of him. So tall that the arch of its back was lost in the haze at the top of the room, so long that the coil of its many tails faded from sight when Corey walked around the front of the creature, so wide that its many mandibles and tentacles stretched across the room and into other parts of the laboratory. 

Its head was lower however, propped up on large struts as its flesh was being crafted onto the skeletal structure that had only just been completed the last time Corey had been here. Six great, green lifeless eyes on each side of the scaled, crested head glared out at the room as ridges of bone and leather were fashioned into place around the sockets, protecting the twenty-foot orbs from being damaged. The teeth had been added recently, endless rows of razor sharp fangs that formed a double bite in the upper palate. Three other jaws were capable of snapping together against the upper jaw, forming a diamond prow that could crush steel as easily as cardboard.

“Yes…” The Shard Emperor sighed happily. “My glorious leviathan, master of the Phasal Titans, you will be my ultimate weapon. You will cross the stars and devour planets in my name!”

“Greetings, my lord.” 

“Moraic, it is good to see you again,” Corey turned around and nodded at the other Phasal Regent, the being wrapped in its distinctive blue robes, its many limbs waving to and fro in a spindly display. “I see my leviathan is progressing well. How are the other elements of our army?”

“Phasal Brute production is at maximum efficiency, my lord; several dozen are produced each day.” Moraic replied in a breathy voice. “More and more Phase Walkers are being formulated from the Shard Conduits, thousands upon thousands of them. And the forges of the great war cities of Marbar and Xelis, Orcu and Demar are churning out enough arms and armor to equip them all. The borders of the empire will be secure in a matter of months, and then we will be prepared to expand even further.”

“Good, good.” The Shard Emperor nodded and walked away from the Titan towards one of the smaller labs in the far distance. “And I see our projects here are on schedule too?”

“Yes, Emperor, in a few short years, hmm, months in the Inflexible World, we will be ready to awaken these magnificent creatures! Yet more Titans will walk the earth, cross the skies, traverse the stars!” Moraic paused and its limbs whistled distinctly through the air. “The other projects you have spoken of; the great air ships and living weapons…they progress more slowly I am afraid.”

“I expected as much, such creations are more mechanical and technical than your previous work. But I am confident that you will succeed.” Corey nodded. “What of the Consort Project? How goes its creation?”

“Slow as well.” Moraic sighed with a hiss of escaping air. “To make a Phase Walker is simple, especially with the models and examples you have shown us. But to make it your equal in knowledge and thought…that will take much longer.”

“Well, keep at it, I’m going to need such a companion more than ever.” Corey replied softly, his thoughts turning to Mason briefly before he pushed the threatening emotions away. “I will see you in a few days, hmm, months for our next Council meeting.”

“Of course, Emperor, may the Conduits energize you.”

Corey looked up in silence at the tomb of the Phase Walkers where he and Theo once stood two years before-although time moved at a much faster pace in the Darkened World-it was decades ago to hear Arcanic speak of it. _Yet even I feel like that day was so long ago. But then why wouldn’t it? Liam is lost trying to forget Beacon Hills, Mason is lying to everyone, and I’m…still wondering why Theo didn’t ask me to come with him. We’re so alike, so different from the others._

His gaze passed over the seemingly endless rows of charcoal-colored boxes which stretched upwards into the rafters and framed the large window that let the moonlight into the chamber. Where once it was glassless, now the window had been repaired: a stunning, many colored stained glass window recounting an epic tale from the distant past. The previous Shard Emperor was depicted crafting worlds from the dripping Conduit of Shard energy at his side.

“Hmm, Arcanic? I need your help.” He waited for his chamberlain to arrive, twisting into existence from some other part of the Darkened World. “Good.”

“What can I help you with, my lord?”

“Find me the Dread Doctor called The Alchemist in the Inflexible World and take me to him when you do locate him.” Corey nodded determinedly. “I want to see where Theo Raeken has ended up.”

“As you wish, my lord.” Arcanic’s voice was edged in concern, but the Phase Walker vanished a moment later.

“I haven’t sought you out, not once, even as my power grows here.” Corey muttered to himself, his thoughts lingering on the last time he saw Theo, on the moments just before they trapped the Anuk-Ite. “Buy why not? Why shouldn’t I see where you’ve gone? What you’re doing? The universes are already laid bare before me.”

“My lord?” Arcanic returned with a crack that echoed through the deserted halls. “I have located The Alchemist; he is in Boston, a city on-”

“I know where it is.” Corey interrupted him mildly. “Take me there.”

“Of course, my lord. Do you want me to summon Rascon?”

“No,” Corey refused, turning around as a shimmering mercury portal opened before him. “I can handle this alone. Await my return in the palace, I’ll be spending a few days here. There are emotions I must void. Unpleasant things, Arcanic, these emotions Mason has caused me. They are too toxic to leave inside.”

“Yes, Emperor,” The Phase Walker bowed and backed away from him. “I shall prepare the Shard of Suffering for your use.”

“Good.” Corey nodded and then stepped through the portal. It was effortless now, only a slight squeeze of pressure and he emerged into the fractured reality of the Phased World, red and blue light bending against his surroundings. “Hmm, not what I expected.”

The Shard Emperor looked around, finding himself standing outside the concrete and steel skeleton of a massive tower; dozens of smaller buildings surrounding him, long straight roads radiating outwards to connect everything to this central hub. Everything was new and shiny and polished white or black or gold, even the bushes lining the roads were all perfectly round and trimmed neatly. Some of the buildings looked like the science centers or labs that he had seen on campus, while others were more akin to storage buildings or testing facilities. 

Plumes of white smoke rose from tall chimney stacks at the far end of the facility and as Corey began to walk around, he caught sight of a large ornamental lake and several sculptures of various animals set up on plinths rising from the water. “Hmm.” He frowned and stopped in front of one of the creatures. “A chimera…but one of mine. A Phasal Brute, perhaps?” The sculptures were too similar to the statues that decorated the corridors outside of the labs in the Temple of Fate to be a coincidence. “Is this where Theo works? How strange.”

“And over here, we’ll have the Bio-Engineering Hub,” A once-familiar voice reached him, and Corey turned around to see Theo walking past with a group of other people. “We should really be able to ramp up production of our medi-gel and bio-gel products there, especially with all the extra funding now the DoD is on board!”

“Hmph.” Corey grunted, silent and protected by his presence in the Phased World. “Curiouser and curiouser.” He followed Theo, taking in his much different appearance: a light gray suit and white shirt, open at the collar with no tie. He was as tanned as ever, a touch of stubble on his cheeks and chin, his eyes bright and expression light and happy. 

“But this is what you’re all here to see, right?” Theo laughed and brought the group to a stop beneath the towers of steel and glass and concrete. “This is only phase one of course, there are three additional phases after we’ve built the offices, both above and below ground. But I’m very happy to welcome you all to the new global headquarters of Chimera Chemicals Incorporated!”

“Hahaha.” Corey chuckled to himself as the group clapped and Theo smiled and nodded. “A bit on the brazen side, but I suppose why not? When you can create gold from lead, you might as well go big.” The Shard Emperor stepped inside, ignoring the glass wall and walked alongside Theo towards a woman in a white lab coat. 

“This is Dr. Ferris, she will give you a tour of the underground facilities and then I’ll see you all for lunch in the Apricot Lounge.” Theo smiled again, waving the group off as they left. “Phew, that went well.”

“Better than well, I would say.” A handsome dark-haired man emerged from one of the open doors behind Corey and walked over to Theo. “You’re doing well with the investors, better than I had feared.”

“Huh, I know how to talk to people.” Theo scoffed and grinned at him. “And where were you, Nick? I thought we were going to speak to them together?”

“Sorry, our plant in Texas had a bit of a hiccup; that self-replicating tissue project, it’s a lot more potent than we thought.” Nick shrugged apologetically. “The lab is in containment mode, we might have to flush the lines and burn everything, the usual clean-up, but I’ll take care of it.”

“No, I’ll do it. We can’t afford any mistakes before we make our grand reveal. That project has too much potential to just throw everything away.” Theo replied, pulling out his phone. “You have to deal with the investors though.”

“Of course.” Nick smiled at him longer than was normal for a colleague and Corey nodded thoughtfully to himself as he watched the men go their separate ways.

“So, even you have moved on, huh, Theo?” Corey smiled and gestured to his right, pulling open a portal back to the Darkened World. “I’m glad, you do deserve to be happy.”

Corey reached out to smoothen the edge of the blanket he was sitting on, feeling the sand shift under his hand. They were on the beach, close enough to the shore to hear the surf crash over the sound of music spilling from portable speakers next to the campfire. One of the dorm blocks backed onto the beach and every Friday night there was an event on the sands, but most nights were given over to casual camp outs like this one. Even in the California winter, the beach was never too cold, especially not since the Shard Emperor had begun influencing the local weather…

But tonight, Corey almost wanted it to rain, if not for Liam and Kelly dragging him out to the impromptu beach party, he would have let a thunderstorm drench the city. Instead, he directed his fury into the storm that was strengthening off the coast, black clouds and whipping winds in the far distance split apart by frequent flashes of lightning. He had emerged from his dorm block an hour before to find Dr. Andreas waiting for him, the graying professor wearing a brown turtleneck and a nervous expression. 

Their conversation was meaningless, the man seeking reassurance that Corey hadn’t told anyone or wouldn’t. It would have been a simple matter to grab the professor and hurl him into the punishing chasm of the Whispering Void…but Corey had resisted the urge and just told him what he wanted to hear. Despite all that had happened, Corey still cared about Mason, about their shared history. He wasn’t going to rip those memories up, especially when the warning signs had been there for so long.

However, the interaction still left a bitter taste in his mouth and the emotions he had been able to extract into the Shard of Suffering came back with a boiling intensity. He had been quiet for the most part while he walked with Liam and Kelly towards the beach, letting their bubbly conversation wash over him. Even Liam’s declaration that he had taken up pole dancing aerobics with Kelly barely made Corey’s lips twitch. But they were obviously trying to cheer him up, Liam having found out what had happened with Mason. Somewhat to Corey’s surprise, the werewolf was on his side in the breakup.

Now, as the night grew long, he found himself alone among the couples and the stoners, Liam and Kelly having run off giggling towards the sand dunes half an hour before. Corey sighed to himself, watching the ocean, letting his thoughts wash out with the waves.

“Hey.”

“Huh, uh, oh.” Corey looked up, brows pulling together as he recognized Ryder standing beside him. The other guy was dressed casually, if a little summery, shorts stopping just before his knee, his khaki shirt open. “Hey.”

“Mind if I join you?” Ryder smiled at him, two bottles of beer in his hand. “Care for a drink?”

“Err, sure to both.” Corey moved over and patted the blanket as he accepted the bottle with his other hand. “You got an opener?”

“Here.” Ryder sat cross legged next to him and popped the cap off his drink before passing the tool to Corey. “I wasn’t sure it was you until I came around the campfire. Just that it was handsome devil sitting all alone!”

“Yeah, I’ve been here, chilling out, you know how it is.”

“Right, uh.” Ryder paused and half-smiled at him. “Friday…”

“Oh, the party, shit!” Corey blinked and turned to him. “I’m sorry, man, I totally forgot.”

“Yeah, you were there one minute and then the next…no one could find you.” Ryder frowned but then brightened up and nudged Corey with his shoulder. “Yeah, I sent out a rescue party!”

“Haha, bet they didn’t find me.”

“No, afraid not. Which was a pity, I was really looking forward to getting to know you better!”

“Yeah, same.” Corey nodded and took a sip of the cold beer. “Well, I imagine that the guy who scored the winning field goal had plenty of offers that night.”

“Sure, there were a lot of guys and girls who wanted to show their appreciation. Pity for the ladies, I’m only interested in guys and even then…” Ryder grinned at him, a flash of white teeth against his tanned skin. “Well, there was this really cute guy I met after the game, I walked to the party with him, he even told me he was in an open relationship and-”

“Not anymore, I don’t have any relationship now.”

“Oooh.” Ryder exhaled sharply and grimaced. “Damn, I’m sorry, bro, I didn’t mean…I can go if you want?”

“No, it’s fine. That honesty principle I was talking about?” Corey gestured with his bottle towards the sea. “Yeah, it was just me doing that. Meanwhile Mason was…involved pretty seriously with someone else.”

“That super-sucks.”

“It’s fine, really, I mean, there is a _lot_ of hot guys on this campus and in this city,” Corey paused and smirked at Ryder. “Including the guy sitting right next to me.”

“Haha, ok, I’m down!” Ryder grinned and nodded. “So, if you come back to my place, I can give you the frat house tour and we can hook up in peace because they’re all going to a Tri Delta party across campus so…there’s that.”

“You have it all planned out, huh?” Corey laughed and then nodded. “Awesome, let’s go!”

**Author's Note:**

> I aim to update this monthly over the next six months. This sequel is to set up the last part of this series which will have Theo and Corey joining forces to defeat an ultimate evil. Thanks for reading, comments appreciated!


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